Snuggling Charles Dickens
by LondonGirl27
Summary: Daniel Meade is having an awful day, but can his assistant help turn things around? A DanielBetty fic. Alternate Universe. Set in January 2007, after the episode In or Out but before I'm Coming Out. Note: CHAPTER 8 is now posted.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Snuggling Charles Dickens

**Pairing:** Daniel/Betty

**Rating:** K+ (or PG)

**Summary:** Daniel Meade is having an awful day, but can his assistant help turn things around?

**Timeline:** AU; Takes place in late January 2007 - sometime after the episode "In or Out" but before "I'm Coming Out".

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters.

_**A/N: **_This is my first "Ugly Betty" fic. (In fact, this is my first fan fic ever.) So, I'm hoping it's not too rough around the edges. It'll most probably take me a while to be just as good as the other UB writers out there, so please bear with me. In any case, I hope you all enjoy:)

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**Chapter 1**

_I cannot believe this is happening. What a way to start Monday morning!_

Betty ran past her bed and towards her dresser. Quickly, she took her brush and ran it through her thick black hair, while eyeing the top of her bureau. The minute she spotted her signature "B" necklace, she picked it up and quickly clasped it around her neck. As she grabbed her watch and wound it around her wrist, she caught sight of its face and gasped. It was officially 7:35 a.m.

In a rush, Betty moved to the edge of her uncharacteristically messy bed – something she was willing to overlook at the moment – in order to put on her shoes. While fumbling with the straps, she mused over what Daniel would say to her once she made it into the office. _My God, I am so late. Daniel is going to kill me!_

As quickly as she could without tripping, Betty ran down the stairs to the kitchen to grab some last minute breakfast. In her mad dash around the dining room, she completely missed seeing Hilda holding her coffee cup and bumped right into her. Hilda gasped in horror as the warm liquid sloshed from her mug onto her shirt.

"¡Aye mija! You really need to watch where you're going!" exclaimed Hilda, as she placed her coffee cup on the dining table.

Upon seeing Hilda's shirt covered in coffee, Betty's eyes widened in shock. "God, Hilda. I'm so sorry! Hold on – let me get a towel." Betty immediately ran to the kitchen and grabbed the first towel rag that she could find.

Hilda continued to regard Betty with annoyance as she stood in the dining room, waiting for a towel. "Betty, what is the matter with you this morning?"

Betty's expression went from apologetic to surprise at hearing her sister's query. "I'm really late, Hilda! Don't you realize what time it is?" She marched over and pointed to her watch as she spoke. "I need to make it into the office before Daniel arrives at around 8 a.m. And guess what? It's 7:45!"

Without waiting for a response, Betty handed the towel to her sister and rushed back into the kitchen to grab a banana from the fruit bowl on the kitchen table. She expected her explanation to elicit the same kind of panic in Hilda that she herself was experiencing, but instead, Hilda waved her hand nonchalantly.

"Betty, relax. It's not like you don't have a good reason. What do you expect? Power outages happen from time to time. We're not the only ones in Jackson Heights who were affected. And you're probably not the only one who's going to be late to work. Just tell Daniel what happened."

Betty continued to talk to her sister from the kitchen as she poured some orange juice and gulped it quickly. "Hilda, you know that I hate making excuses, even if they are legitimate. And it's easy for you to relax. You don't have to be at work until 9:00 today."

Hilda picked up her half-filled coffee cup and followed Betty into the kitchen. "Okay. So, you'll probably end up arriving a few minutes late. I mean, how hard is it for Daniel to find the coffee and bagels for himself?"

Betty glanced at her sister and shook her head as she washed her glass in the kitchen sink. "No, it's not just that. There's a lot more at stake today. Actually, this week is pretty important. _Mode_ is featuring Charlize Theron on the cover of March's issue. So, we need to put the finishing touch on every single detail of her photo shoot before next Monday rolls around. Daniel told me last Friday that he wanted me to come in and help him get an early start today."

"Oh my God! Did you say Charlize? How awesome is that? She's absolutely FABULOUS!" exclaimed Justin, as he appeared at the entrance of the kitchen. He paused in thought before slowly approaching Betty. "Wow. Aunt Betty, do you think I could – "

"Justin! I know what you're going to say. Don't even think about asking your Aunt Betty to take you to _Mode_! You know you have to be at school." Hilda put her hands on her hips and gave her son a knowing look.

In return, Justin rolled his eyes slightly and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it was just a thought."

Biting her lip, Betty looked back at Hilda before turning to face Justin with a wistful gaze. She gave him a look that expressed her regret at having to deny him his wish – a look he understood quite well. In return, Justin nodded and gave her a tiny smile, indicating to his aunt that he wouldn't be terribly heartbroken.

Suddenly, Betty looked down at her watch and remembered the lateness of the hour. It was two minutes to eight. "Oh, the time! Okay – well I'm off!" She continued to talk hurriedly as she walked over to the front door, grabbed her bag, and squeezed into her puffy, powder blue coat. "I'll try to be home in time for dinner by 6:00, but you never know considering today's schedule. I'll call home if I'm delayed, okay? Bye!"

"Betty, you're already leaving? Did you eat any breakfast?"

Betty was halfway through the door when she heard her father's concerned voice call out to her. She stopped dead in her tracks, and turned around just in time to see him descending the stairs.

"Yeah, dad. Don't worry, I ate something." She quickly walked over to him and pecked him on the cheek. "I'm really late. I'll see you tonight. Love you! Bye!"

"Okay," replied Ignacio, shaking his head. _Between Betty's time at work and her time with the family, she hardly spares a moment to herself_, he thought. He really wanted to talk to her about the dangers of stretching herself too thin, but he knew that was not the time. Instead, he smiled at her and resigned himself to wishing her well. "I love you, too. Have a good day."

With that, Betty looked back at him with a quick smile and was out the door. Rushing down the steps and onto the sidewalk, Betty let out a deep sigh as she mentally calculated the amount of time it would take to make it to Manhattan. _This is going to be one long day, _she thought worriedly._ But it can't possibly get any worse…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Snuggling Charles Dickens

**Pairing:** Daniel/Betty

**Rating:** K+ (or PG)

**Summary:** Daniel Meade is having an awful day, but can his assistant help turn things around?

**Timeline:** AU; Takes place in late January 2007 - sometime after the episode "In or Out" but before "I'm Coming Out".

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters.

**_A/N_:** I'd like to warmly thank everyone who left a review for my first chapter. As a new fanfic writer, I greatly appreciate your reviews and support. And I hope you'll stick with me. ;)

Onto Chapter 2...

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**Chapter 2**

Commuting around the Big Apple was definitely a juggling act of sorts for many New Yorkers. Some would even go so far to call it hell on earth. However, it was a part of life that many suburbanites and city dwellers had come to know and accept, albeit grudgingly. Yet unlike most, Betty learned to bypass the pain and suffering that came with the daily commute by quietly meditating. She trained herself to shut out the beleaguering noises and reflect on happier thoughts by observing as much as she possibly could – from her fellow commuters to even the smallest things, such as leaves falling from trees. Not only was this activity soothing for her, but it also created adventure out of monotony.

Unfortunately, at the moment, Betty wasn't in the mood for her usual "excursion". For once, she was too occupied with her thoughts to even look at anything except the pavement in front of her. In her mind, she was scheduling what seemed like a million things – from the calls she had to make to the unfinished paperwork that was still lying on her desk since Friday. But most of all, she was worried about what Daniel would think of her lateness. On the rare occasions that she found herself late to work, she didn't normally worry too much, especially since Daniel was quite lenient with her. In fact, Betty realized that he gave her more freedom than most bosses would ever give to their employees. Immediately, Wilhelmina and Marc came to mind. She cringed as she pictured Wilhelmina barking orders at Marc, who often trailed behind his boss like a cowering, little puppy dog. Betty felt relieved knowing that her relationship with Daniel was nothing similar to that. Despite their differences, they were a team, and they did their best to watch out for each other. She believed in Daniel's talent and abilities, and she respected him. In return, Daniel truly respected her not only as a capable employee but also as a friend, which—considering their rough beginnings—was more than she could ever hope for. Naturally, with this mutual respect came complete trust and understanding between them in practically all things.

However, despite this knowledge, Betty wasn't willing to be cavalier about her current situation. It didn't matter that Daniel usually gave her leeway in the past. Considering their tight schedule for the week, Betty hated disappointing him by being late to work at that very moment – no matter how good the reason was. She wanted to be on top of her game – not just for her own sake, but for Daniel's as well. Since her first day at _Mode_, Betty knew that Daniel was constantly under the microscope. It was no secret that people were waiting for him to fail miserably at any moment. Of course, some were expecting his failure more than others – namely, Bradford Meade and Wilhelmina Slater. Daniel's father always watched his son's every move like a hawk, while Wilhelmina – the vulture – was waiting to pounce at the slightest smell of disaster. Knowing this gave Betty that extra incentive to put her best foot forward at _Mode_ at all times. She had no intention of giving those two large birds the pleasure of pecking at both her and her boss.

Before Betty could lose herself in her thoughts any further, she found herself in front of the Meade Publications building. Immediately, she pushed through the large steel doors and scuttled across the lobby floor, trying unsuccessfully not to bump into people around her.

"Excuse me. Oh! Sorry, sorry. Pardon me." Betty mumbled, as she squeezed through the crowd towards the elevators. As she stood waiting for an elevator to open, Betty pushed up the left sleeve of her coat and glanced at her watch.

_8:25 a.m._ She sighed in exasperation. _I'm definitely late – 25 minutes late, to be exact. Well, that settles it. I'm going to kill those idiots at the Electric Company._

As soon as the elevator doors opened in front of her, Betty rushed in and frantically pushed the button to the 28th floor. The doors quickly closed and the elevator began to ascend at its normally rapid pace, but Betty silently wished that it would move even faster. As she nervously waited for the elevator to reach its destination, Betty started practicing her apology speech to Daniel, while imagining what he'd be doing in his office.

_He'll probably be pacing the floor…or sitting at his desk and rubbing the back of his neck . . . and biting that lower lip, of course. _

It had only been six months since they started working together, but Betty was already quite familiar with most of Daniel's mannerisms. And surprisingly, Daniel was quite knowledgeable about some of Betty's twitches as well. After so short a time, it amazed Betty that they could both read each other's expressions so well – as if they were sharing the same brain.

_Well, I guess that works in my favor right about now_. _I can save myself from wasting words. Hopefully, he'll just read my mind and that'll be the end of it_. Betty chuckled softly to herself, mildly amused at the thought.

For a few seconds, Betty continued on this train of thought until she realized something was causing the sole of her left shoe to stick to the elevator rug. Grabbing the elevator railing, she slowly turned her foot to view the bottom of her shoe and found the culprit: Bubble gum.

"Just my luck," muttered Betty out loud. The gum had spread out quite thickly along the sole of her shoe, making it difficult for her to walk properly. Betty slipped the shoe off of her foot, and quickly grabbed her handbag.

_There has to be a napkin in here somewhere,_ she thought hopefully, rummaging inside her bag.

But there was none to be found. Dropping her bag, Betty looked down again at her left shoe that was lying on its side.

_If I walk in with that gum still stuck on my shoe, it will definitely spread all over the floor._ She sighed in disgust and reluctantly came to a decision. _Ugh_…_I hate doing this, but it's not like I have much of a choice._

Once again, Betty grabbed the elevator railing and fiddled with the strap of her right shoe, attempting to remove it as well. As she lifted her leg, she made another horrifying discovery: There was a large run in the right leg of her stocking.

Betty put her right leg down and strummed her fingers impatiently on the railing as she rolled her eyes skyward. "Can this day get any better or what?" she asked aloud to the empty elevator. Looking up, she noticed that the elevator would soon be stopping at _Mode's_ floor.

_Oh crap._

Quickly, Betty went back to unfastening the strap of her right shoe and removing it from her foot. She took one more look at the run in her stocking before picking up both shoes in one hand and her handbag in the other. Straightening up, Betty patted down the front of her coat with her right hand and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear.

_Maybe I'll get lucky and no one will notice. _

As soon as the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Betty hurried out, instantly forgetting her shoe and stocking troubles and remembering the time. In her rush around the corner, she bumped headlong into a man wearing a bright, red-collared shirt and black sweater vest. Luckily, both of them managed to gather their bearings long enough to keep from falling to the ground.

"Okay, wrong venue, sweetie. The running of the bulls takes place in Spain, not at _Mode_! Remember that before charging me next time?" scolded the familiar male voice.

Betty straightened herself and looked up apologetically. Marc stared back at her in annoyance, grasping a stack of papers to his chest.

"Sorry, Marc. It's just that I'm late and Daniel's expecting me."

Marc looked down at his watch, scrunching his face in confusion. "Well, I don't see the rush. Doesn't he usually get in at 9:00?"

Betty nodded quickly while looking past Marc towards the long corridor behind him. "Yes, but we agreed to get an early start today. By any chance, did you see Daniel in – " She returned her attention to Marc, who was now staring wide-eyed at her feet as if they were something grotesque. "What?"

Marc stared a little longer at her feet before looking back at her with slight condescension. "Look Betty, I know the 'no shoes, no shirt, no problem' policy is all the rage in Queens, but over here, we're a little less lax."

Betty cocked an eyebrow at him and let out another exasperated sigh – seemingly her tenth one in the last twenty minutes alone. "Marc, I couldn't walk in with my shoes on because I stepped on bubble gum. I still have to clean it off."

Marc's expression immediately brightened as if it were the best news he heard all day. "Oh don't bother. You finally have the perfect reason to throw out those clunky grandma shoes!" He continued to talk in an upbeat voice as he sauntered past her towards the elevators. "And make sure to throw out those stockings, too. That is one _awful_ run."

Betty shook her head and responded without turning around. "Thank you for reminding me, Marc." _Well, so much for no one noticing_.

As she walked hurriedly down the corridor and around the corner, Betty felt several pairs of eyes watching her, no doubt criticizing the barefoot look (and possibly the ruined pantyhose) that she was now sporting. Like many times in the past, she ignored the stares and proceeded on as if everything were normal. Without stopping at her own desk, Betty marched on until she stood in front of the door to Daniel's office.

_I really hope he's not mad. _Betty knocked lightly on the door and waited for admission. "Daniel?" After two seconds without a response, she slowly opened the door and found that no one was inside the office.

_Hmm. He's not here. Maybe, for once, he's fetching his own coffee and bagel, _Betty hoped as she smiled to herself.

Seeing that she had a few more minutes to compose herself, Betty walked over to her desk and carefully placed her shoes on the floor. After removing her coat and setting her bag to the side, she turned on her computer and arranged some papers on her desk. Once she had finished organizing, she directed her attention to her shoes.

_Now I can clean this mess up. _Betty looked up and scanned the entire office for any sign of Daniel, but didn't see him. _This should only take a few minutes in the bathroom. _After surveying the gummed sole of her left shoe, Betty picked it up and walked down the corridor to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Betty emerged from the bathroom and walked back to her desk. As she sat down and put on her shoes, she looked through the glass wall that separated Daniel's office space from hers. He still wasn't in his seat.

_He's probably running an errand on another floor. Let's see what I can do in the meantime. _

Settling into her chair, Betty looked intently at the paperwork on her desk and started to work with complete concentration. However, when Daniel still didn't appear after twenty minutes, Betty's concentration diminished and her mind started to wander. Once again, she turned and carefully scanned the office corridors.

_Where is he?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Snuggling Charles Dickens

**Pairing:** Daniel/Betty

**Rating:** K+ (or PG)

**Summary:** Daniel Meade is having an awful day, but can his assistant help turn things around?

**Timeline:** AU; Takes place in late January 2007 - sometime after the episode "In or Out" but before "I'm Coming Out".

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters.

**A/N: **Again, I'd like to thank everyone who has left a review for this story. I greatly appreciate the support, and I'm really glad you're enjoying the fic so far. And no worries...Daniel's whereabouts will be known very soon. We're almost there. :)

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**Chapter 3**

_This is strange. _

Once again, Betty glanced over at Daniel's empty desk and then at her watch. It was now 9:10 a.m. She stood up from her desk and was about to go search for him, when Amanda appeared and handed a folder to her.

"Here you go. This is from the art department. Wilhelmina already looked over the file, and now it's Daniel's turn to sign off on it."

"Okay, thanks. I'll make sure he gets this." Betty looked at the file before setting it down on her table. "Amanda, do you have any idea where Daniel might be right now?"

Amanda cocked an eyebrow at Betty before answering with a tinge of sarcasm in her voice. "Why ask me? Like I'd know. I'm not your boss's keeper, Betty. _You're_ the assistant, remember?"

Considering Amanda's past relationship with Daniel, Betty was hardly surprised at the somewhat bitter response. Although Amanda insisted that all physical and emotional ties with Daniel were severed two months ago, Betty knew the truth: Amanda was still in love with him. Unfortunately for her, Daniel didn't feel the same, and he obviously had no intention of returning the sentiment.

"Amanda, I realize that. It's just that Daniel told me on Friday that he was going to be in today at 8 a.m. to start preparations for next week's photo shoot. I'm supposed to be helping him out, but he's nowhere to be found. Do you know if he arrived yet?"

Amanda placed her right hand on her hip and thought aloud. "You know, it's Monday, which probably means that he's still basking in the afterglow of his latest weekend fling." Tilting her head to one side, Amanda rambled on, forgetting that Betty was right in front of her. "I bet it's that slut on the third floor – what's her face? Yeah, Jamie something-or-other . . ."

As Amanda stared off into space, Betty eyed her pitifully and shook her head. _Still in denial, I see. Some things will never change._

Suddenly snapping to attention, Amanda looked defensively at Betty, as if hearing the petite brunette's thoughts. "It's not like I really care, of course," Amanda answered, wearing a fake smile and attempting to sound indifferent. Looking sideways at Daniel's office, she continued on. "Anyway, I never saw him come in from the elevators, so I'm sure he's not here yet. And if worse comes to worst, you might want to try 'lost and found'. You never know what kind of crap turns up over there." With that, Amanda turned around swiftly and sashayed out of the office.

Betty waited until Amanda was out of sight before rolling her eyes.

_Well, that's great. All this time, I've been worried about how upset Daniel might be, and it turns out that I'm the one who's been left hanging._

Sighing in exasperation, Betty plopped back down into her chair and took another look at her watch. It was now twenty minutes past nine. From past experience, Betty knew that Daniel sometimes arrived late from time to time. But one hour and twenty minutes late? And without calling ahead of time? _This is not like him_.

Soon, Betty's thoughts wandered back to Amanda's mention of a possible weekend fling. The idea that Daniel might be shirking his current responsibilities all for the sake of his latest conquest made her blood pressure slowly rise.

_No, he wouldn't…would he? By now, he knows better than to do that to his job. Or at least, he should know better. _

Betty quickly recalled the past two times that her boss had been late to work due to women. When it happened the first time with a Danish model, he apologized to Betty after she gave him a short speech on punctuality. Unfortunately, Betty's words didn't hit home until he showed up late once again after spending a night with Sofia. After receiving the silent treatment from Betty for over an hour – and no coffee and bagel to boot – Daniel genuinely apologized and solemnly vowed never to upset his assistant ever again with his tardiness. The earnestness that appeared in his eyes at that very moment was something that Betty had rarely seen and would never forget.

Leaning her elbow on top of her desk, Betty sighed and rested her cheek against her palm.

_He was so sincere when he apologized. I shouldn't be thinking this way, especially since we're a team. And teammates always trust each other – as should friends._

Betty blinked and exhaled slowly. Gradually, the anger that was starting to build dissipated. _Stop running away with these evil thoughts or you're going to turn into Amanda_, Betty chided herself.

Soon, a new disturbing idea dawned on Betty – one that she hadn't considered before.

_What if he's been in some terrible accident and no one knows? Considering he hasn't called and looking at the time . . . oh God!_

After seeing the time read as 9:27 on her watch, Betty resolved to call Daniel's cell phone. Just as she was reaching for the phone, it rang unexpectedly, causing her to jump slightly. Calming herself, she picked up the handset.

"Daniel Meade's office – this is Betty Suarez. How may I help you?"

"Betty?"

There was no mistaking the familiar deep voice. It was Daniel.

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_**A/N:** Sorry for the short chapter - and the cliffhanger - but if it's any consolation, the next chapter will definitely be up this weekend. (Probably tomorrow night at best). :) _


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Snuggling Charles Dickens

**Pairing:** Daniel/Betty

**Rating:** K+ (or PG)

**Summary:** Daniel Meade is having an awful day, but can his assistant help turn things around?

**Timeline:** AU; Takes place in late January 2007 - sometime after the episode "In or Out" but before "I'm Coming Out".

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters.

**A/N: **To all readers/reviewers: Thank you very much for your continuous support and comments! I always greatly appreciate them. :) Also, I'm so sorry for the delay in posting Chapter 4. As mentioned last time, I meant to post it over the weekend, but unexpected broadband troubles came knocking. So, no Internet access at all on Saturday or Sunday. Thankfully, all seems to be well now (_knocking on wood again_). So, without further delay, here's Daniel and the rest of Chapter 4. Hope you like it:)

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**Chapter 4**

Betty immediately widened her eyes and sighed in relief.

"Daniel?! Where are you? I'm this close to forming a search-and-rescue party just to find you!"

After a momentary pause, Betty heard Daniel breathe peculiarly into the phone. "I'm at the loft."

Suddenly, Amanda's voice echoed back into Betty's mind. _He's still basking in the afterglow of his latest weekend fling._ Betty pushed the thought away before patiently responding to Daniel. "What are you still doing there?"

Another pause ensued before Daniel finally answered her, in a strange, muffled voice. "I'm…I'm still in bed."

"What?" The strangeness in Daniel's voice caused annoyance to creep up into Betty's veins once again. _I almost feel like he's hiding something. Maybe he's drunk…or is he still wrapped around Ms. Sunday night?_

Recalling her awful morning experience, Betty finally gave in to her annoyance and blurted out her feelings. "Daniel, do you have any idea what time it is right now? I was running thirty minutes late for our 8:00 meeting this morning, and I was afraid that you'd be upset with me. So, you know what I did? I stepped in gum, ruined a perfectly good pair of stockings, and almost killed Marc just so I could get to you. And guess what? You weren't even here." Betty paused for a few seconds, attempting to hold on to what little patience was left. "What is going on over there?"

For a brief moment, Daniel's curiosity piqued at the mention of Betty killing Marc, but the annoyance in her voice made him think better about asking. Instead, he paused before speaking in a low voice.

"Betty, I'm sorry. And I know what you're thinking. I'm not drunk, and no, I'm not…I'm not with…ACHOO!" Daniel pulled away from the phone and sneezed loudly in the background. Within seconds, he returned to the phone and spoke nasally. "Some woman."

Initially, the unexpected sneeze caused Betty to cringe and pull slightly away from the receiver. However, as soon as the sound registered in her mind, her annoyance melted away into guilt.

_Yikes. He's sick. Good job, Betty_, she thought sheepishly.

"Daniel – I'm so sorry. I didn't realize that you were sick." Betty said apologetically. Pausing, she cleared her throat. "And I never thought for a minute that you were drunk or with a girl."

Daniel softly chuckled and pulled away from the phone momentarily to blow his nose before speaking. "Uh-huh. Right. You're making funny noises with your throat again. Lying is definitely not your talent, Betty."

The corners of Betty's mouth twitched as she looked upward. _Crap._

"Anyways, it's just a small cold," he continued. "Nothing big, really. And I'm sorry that I didn't call you earlier to let you know. I really meant to, but somehow I missed the time. I thought I had turned this alarm on..."

Again, his voice became distant as he moved away from the receiver. Betty wasn't sure what he was doing, but she vaguely heard shuffling noises and inaudible (possibly vulgar) comments regarding the alarm clock. Soon, his voice drifted back. "I remember what happened the last time I arrived late without calling, and I didn't want you to be upset again."

Betty couldn't believe it. Despite everything, he still managed to spare a thought for her. "It's really okay, Daniel. Don't worry about it. Of course, I'm not mad at you," she answered sympathetically. "What's important right now is that you take it easy and get some rest."

Daniel laughed weakly. "I'm trying, but it hasn't been easy. I've been tossing and turning since Saturday night – "

"Wait. You've been sick since Saturday night?" Betty exclaimed. "Why didn't you call earlier to let me know?

Daniel let out a rough cough before answering softly. "I know, I know. It was stupid of me. If I had called you yesterday, you wouldn't have had to rush out to the office so early today."

Betty shook her head. "No, Daniel – that's not what I meant. I mean, why didn't you call me so that I could come over and help?"

"Oh c'mon, Betty," Daniel scoffed lightly into the phone. "Really, I'm fine. You know, it's not like I'm a helpless five-year old. I'm a grown man. I can take care of myself. Like I said, all I have is a tiny cold. It's nothing…nothing — ah-CHOOO!" The sneeze was stronger than the previous one, causing him to moan lightly.

"—big?" Betty said, finishing his sentence. _Who is he kidding?_

Daniel temporarily put down the receiver and blew his nose, before quickly taking the phone again. He mustered his strength and spoke in a slightly stronger voice, hoping to allay Betty's concerns. "Yes, that's right, it's nothing big. There's nothing to worry about."

But Betty wasn't buying it. "Good try, Daniel," she answered wryly. "Just so you know, lying was never your strong point either."

"Betty, come on – "

"You know, you should've called," she interrupted in a concerned voice. "It would've been no trouble at all for me to come over and check on you."

Daniel put his free hand over his forehead as a sudden dizzy spell came over him. He lay back on his pillow and spoke softly. "Look, Betty – it's great that you want to help me get better. But you're my assistant, not my doctor. You know that it's not in your job description to take care of me, right?" Daniel paused to cough and clear his throat.

"Well yes, but – "

"Besides, I already monopolize your time more than I should – both in and out of the office," he interjected hoarsely. "I remember what you said to me when I called you over here last Thanksgiving, and I realize that you're right. You have a family and a life outside of Mode, and I respect that. There are better things that you should be doing during your free time than having to watch over me, you know."

Betty shut her eyes, feeling a mix of guilt and gratitude. She didn't realize that he had taken her words to heart. "Daniel, I really appreciate that, but you're not taking my free time away from me. And you cannot compare what happened on Thanksgiving to this! Picking shirts to impress _that_ woman was not something that required my immediate attention. But catching the flu while alone in your loft? That's definitely a bona-fide emergency that warrants a call."

"I don't have the flu. Just a cold, alright?" said Daniel, sounding somewhat flustered and nasal. "Look, just do this for me: Cancel the staff meeting and all of my appointments for today, and call my father and let him know that I won't be able to meet him for lunch either. And just finish up the edits and put them on my desk. I'll be back in the office tomorrow."

Grabbing a pen, Betty wrote furiously as Daniel spoke. "Tomorrow? Wait…do you honestly think you'll be – "

"I'll be fine." Daniel looked over at his alarm clock and saw that it was 9:43 a.m. "And hey – by the time you finish everything, it'll probably be lunchtime. Then you can take the rest of the day off and go home! You see? There's so much to look forward to when the boss is not around," he said jokingly before letting out another painful cough.

Betty fiddled with her pen and frowned into the phone. She failed to see the humor in his words. "If the price for going home early is having you fall sick, then I don't want it. Daniel, I'd much rather see you happy and healthy."

Upon hearing her words, Daniel smiled against the phone. In general, he knew that assistants could suck up to their bosses if it suited them. He had seen it happen often enough with Marc and Wilhelmina. But he knew for sure that Betty wasn't like that at all with him. In fact, nothing that Betty ever said was lip service. When she spoke to him, it always came from the heart.

"Thanks, Betty," he replied, clearing a lump that had formed in his throat. "But for today, I'm giving you leave to go home early to spend time with your family. No 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts' about it, okay?"

Betty rolled her eyes slightly and sighed deeply. "Yeah, okay. Fine."

"Good," he said brightly. "I'm glad we're in agreement." Feeling satisfied, Daniel smiled in amusement and quietly chuckled. _Most employees would be jumping through hoops when the boss is out. Leave it to Betty to be the opposite – cranky and sulky._

"I'll see you tomorrow. And try to enjoy…the rest of the day," Daniel said, pausing mid-sentence to put his handkerchief to his nose.

"Alright," Betty answered reluctantly. "Make sure to get some rest, okay?"

"I'll try my best. Take care, Betty." And with that, he hung up the phone.

After hearing the click, Betty pulled the receiver away from her ear and looked at it momentarily before placing it back in its cradle. She continued to stare worriedly at the phone, as she pondered Daniel's words.

_Try to enjoy the rest of the day? I don't know about that._


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Snuggling Charles Dickens

**Pairing:** Daniel/Betty

**Rating:** K+ (or PG)

**Summary:** Daniel Meade is having an awful day, but can his assistant help turn things around?

**Timeline:** AU; Takes place in late January 2007 - sometime after the episode "In or Out" but before "I'm Coming Out".

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters.

**A/N: **Again, to all readers/reviewers: Thank you very much for your kind comments and support! After a long week, it really makes me happy to read them. :-) Without further ado, here's chapter 5...

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Betty looked down at the paperwork that she had been working on prior to Daniel's phone call, and slowly drummed her fingers on the desk. From the sound of his cold, she was sure that Daniel's head was about to fall off, but he still managed to act confident about making it in to the office the next day. Betty shook her head in disbelief. _At least one of us is optimistic_. _Typical male behavior, I suppose..._

Looking to the side, Betty saw the "To-Do" list that she scribbled down per Daniel's instructions. She pursed her lips and looked from the list to her paperwork. "Well, first things first."

Pushing aside the stack of papers, Betty grabbed the list and proceeded to do as Daniel had directed over the phone. Immediately, she sent out an e-mail to all departments informing them of the canceled staff meeting. Next, she canceled every single appointment that Daniel had scheduled for the day. As soon as she had accomplished that, Betty looked down at the list. The only thing left for her to do was to cancel Daniel's lunch appointment with his father. Immediately, she picked up the phone and dialed Bradford Meade's office number. Without delay, Bradford's assistant answered and put her call through to his office.

"Mr. Meade? This is Betty...Daniel's assistant?" she started tentatively.

"Yes?" he replied stiffly, waiting for Betty to continue as he read through some paperwork on his desk.

Betty nervously tangled the phone cord around her fingers as she thought of how to explain the situation to Daniel's father. "I have a message from Daniel, sir. He won't be able to make your scheduled lunch meeting today, and he sends his apologies. But he will talk to you—"

"He's canceling our meeting?" Bradford looked up from his paperwork and sat back in his chair, frowning slightly. He made no attempt to disguise the displeasure in his voice. "I already mentioned to Daniel how important it is that we meet today to discuss the schedule for next week. I certainly hope he has a good reason for this last-minute change in plans."

"Well, sir…he's sick."

"Sick?" Bradford's eyes narrowed in confusion. "How so?"

"Well…he just phoned me from his apartment, and it turns out he has a bad cold." As she finished the sentence, Betty bit her lip and thought back to Daniel's sneezing fits and strained voice. _More like a bad case of the flu, if you ask me. _ "He really isn't feeling that well, so he's trying to get some rest at home."

Although he was known for being hard with his son, Betty expected that this information would elicit some concern from Bradford. Considering how anxious she felt about Daniel's current state of health, Betty assumed that his father might be even more worried than she was. Wasn't it natural for a father to feel concern over the welfare of his child? Without a doubt, Betty knew that if roles were reversed, her father would be apprehensive if she were in Daniel's place.

A short pause ensued before Bradford gave his reply. "I see."

For a moment, Betty took the pause as a good sign – that Bradford was lost in thought over his son's condition. But she was mistaken. As usual, his thoughts were with the fate of the magazine, not with Daniel.

"Well, make sure he knows that everything needs to be finalized for that photo shoot by Monday morning," said Bradford in his usual businesslike tone. "I don't know if he'll manage it at this rate, but it must get done. In the meantime, I'm sure Wilhelmina will be able to take over some of his duties, if necessary."

Affected by the indifference in his voice, Betty frowned but managed to respond politely. "No…no, he assured me that he could manage it, sir. But I'll let him know your message."

"And tell him that I'll need to meet with him by the end of the week to discuss everything. We'll need to make up for today's meeting somehow."

"Uh…sure…I mean, yes, I'll let him know that, too," Betty replied hesitantly. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. _Who cares about the photo shoot?! What about Daniel? _From the way he was responding, it seemed as if Bradford Meade could care less whether or not his son was perfectly healthy or on his deathbed.

"Thank you, Betty," he replied in return.

Before Betty could say anything more, she heard the line click. She hung up the phone and continued to stare at it with annoyance for a few more seconds. _I don't believe this. _

Before she could think more on the matter, Betty looked up as her ears caught the sound of high-heeled shoes clicking on the floor towards her.

"Betty, I just got the e-mail about the staff meeting. So, Daniel's out sick today, is he?" Wilhelmina glanced at Betty before looking over at Daniel's empty desk. "How unfortunate."

Betty eyed the woman cautiously and gave her a small smile. "Yes, but it's just a small cold. He just needs to rest."

"Yes, definitely," answered Wilhelmina in a shallow voice. "Of course, we do need him if we're going to make any progress on this layout before next Monday."

"Oh, that won't be a problem." Betty smiled nervously, shaking her head. "He won't be gone all week."

Looking Betty over, Wilhelmina plastered on a fake smile. "That's good to know. _Mode_ really needs its editor-in-chief on this shoot. If, however, Daniel isn't feeling up to it, I'll be happy to take the reins on this project. I wouldn't want Daniel to feel overburdened in his current state of health."

"No – that's alright. Thank you for the offer, but Daniel assured me that he's on the mend. He'll be back in the office in no time – ready to take charge," replied Betty optimistically, waving her hand in a carefree manner.

For a moment, Wilhelmina cocked an eyebrow skeptically at her. "I see. Well, I'm definitely glad to hear it." She turned to walk away, but paused and looked back at Betty one last time. "In the meantime, if you need my assistance with those edits, feel free to knock on my door. I'd be more than happy to look them over and offer some direction while Daniel is away." Wilhelmina said, smiling slightly and pointing at Betty's paperwork.

Betty looked down at her paperwork before nodding back at the creative director. "Thank you, Wilhelmina."

Smiling in acquiescence, Wilhelmina turned and strutted down the corridor back to her office.

As soon as Wilhelmina was out of sight, Betty let out the breath that she was holding. _Right. That'll be the day. Maybe when pigs fly. Or when Marc flies. Whichever, _she thought dryly.

Betty lifted her glasses and slowly rubbed her eyes before looking down at her paperwork with determination. _I've got to get through this as thoroughly as possible. Daniel's going to need all the help he can get._ She settled down to work with complete concentration. Despite the hustle and bustle in the office, Betty's mind never wavered from her work. She worked diligently, knowing that every little effort was going towards helping her boss somehow. Before she realized it, the time flew by and she was completely finished with the edits and the rest of her work. For a moment, Betty sat back with satisfaction and gazed at her computer monitor. She was officially done for the day.

Finally, she stood up from her desk and stretched before looking down at her watch. The time read as 12:47 p.m. _Just like Daniel predicted_, she mused.

As her thoughts turned to Daniel, Betty looked up at his empty office through the glass partition. Her eyes remained fixated on his desk as she contemplated the events of that morning. Slowly, her gaze traveled from his desk to the white couch that sat in the corner of his office. Unexpectedly, an earlier conversation that she had with Daniel surfaced to the forefront of her thoughts. As it echoed in her head, an idea formed in Betty's mind, causing her to smile.

She quickly sat down and reached for the phonebook that was in her drawer. Eagerly, Betty opened the book and scanned the pages for the number that she was looking for. As soon as she spotted it, she grinned victoriously and wasted no time dialing the number.

Twisting the phone cord around her finger, Betty glanced at her watch as she waited for someone to answer. The voice of a young woman finally greeted her on the other line.

"Hello? Harriet's Kitchen?" Betty asked expectantly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** Snuggling Charles Dickens

**Pairing:** Daniel/Betty

**Rating:** K+ (or PG)

**Summary:** Daniel Meade is having an awful day, but can his assistant help turn things around?

**Timeline:** AU; Takes place in late January 2007 - sometime after the episode "In or Out" but before "I'm Coming Out".

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters.

**A/N: **To all readers/reviewers: Thank you again for your wonderful support and comments! Your reviews are love, and reading them certainly makes writing this story more enjoyable for me. Thank you very much for sticking with this fic. :) I apologize that I can't update faster, but that's RL for you... _sigh_

From here on out, the rest of the chapters will focus on Daniel and Betty. I think the remaining chapters (including this one) will probably be the longest ones that I have for this fic. Anyway, I really hope you all enjoy this chapter, and kindly review if you have the chance. :)

My special thanks goes to TrixieFirecracker - thank you so much for your support and for everything! ;)

* * *

**Chapter 6**_  
_

_Oh God. This isn't helping! Nothing works, _Daniel thought miserably as he rested his arm against his forehead and covered his eyes.

Clad in his Harvard t-shirt and black track pants, he lay in bed with the comforter pulled up to his chest. Through squinted eyes, he peered over to the right at the radio alarm clock that was currently playing soft music on his nightstand.

"To hell with this," Daniel mumbled. He rolled over onto his stomach and reached out to press the 'off' button on the radio with his left hand. Slowly, his hand slipped from the clock, and he remained on his stomach with his left arm dangling on the side of the bed. For the next ten minutes, he remained in this position, with the right side of his face plastered against the pillow and his mouth slightly open. As he lay there with his eyes wide open, he thought about every awful feeling in his body. Being sick was the worst thing he could ever imagine. He felt chilly, his nose was clogged, his throat itched, his head throbbed, and to make matters worst, he just couldn't sleep no matter how much he tried.

"What did I do to deserve this?" he muttered against his pillow.

Suddenly, a faint sound reached his ears and interrupted his thoughts. He ignored it for a while until he realized that it was becoming more repetitive.

"Damn neighbors," he grumbled. "Shut the hell up."

Daniel reached over to the other side of his bed and grabbed the extra pillow that was lying there. He pushed the pillow down over his head, hoping to shut out the annoying sounds. Within seconds, however, he threw the pillow off and felt around for his handkerchief as the urge to sneeze overcame him.

"AH-CHOOOO!! Ohhh…"

Groaning, he sat up and blew his nose. "I'm…officially…in hell. I really am," he said to himself as he closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. Again, he opened his eyes when the familiar repetitive noise that he had heard seconds earlier returned. In a moment of clarity, Daniel realized that he had been mistaken. The repetitive noises were light knocking sounds, and they were distinctly coming from the front door, not from his neighbors.

Peering over at his clock, he saw that it was already 2:30 p.m. Running a hand through his spiky hair, Daniel slowly got up and staggered over to the chair that was near the doorway of his room. He picked up a light blanket that was lying there and wrapped it around his shoulders. Turning towards the bedroom doorway, he tottered out towards the hallway, catching his foot on the chair and almost tripping in the process. Thanks to his fast reflexes, he managed to prevent the fall and continued to stagger out.

As Daniel got closer to the door, the knocking sounds grew somewhat louder. In an attempt to look livelier, he rubbed over his face with one hand as he approached the door.

"Alright, I'm coming already," Daniel called out wearily, clutching the blanket around his shoulders. "Hold your horses," he mumbled, slowly undoing the bolts on his door and opening it.

"Can I help –" Daniel's eyes widened in surprise. "Betty! Hey, what…what are you doing here?"

Wearing her usual puffy powder blue coat, Betty stood in the doorway, carrying her handbag over one shoulder and one large paper handle-bag in her right hand. Another large-sized duffle bag lay on the floor next to her feet. She looked up at Daniel and smiled cheerfully as she deposited some small metallic item into her bag.

"I was just about to use the key and let myself in, but I didn't want to startle you like last time." Betty smiled sheepishly as she recalled the events from a week and a half ago. She'd never forget the deer-in-headlights look on Daniel's face when she found him in the closet. "I really hope I didn't wake you."

Daniel continued to watch her with surprise. "What? Oh…no, no." He rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his wayward hair. "I've been awake." _Couldn't sleep if my life depended on it_, he thought sardonically. Immediately, his attention turned back to Betty and the bags that she was carrying. "Is everything okay? I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Oh, I know. I just wanted to see how you're doing." Betty's smile slowly melted away into a look of worry as she took in his appearance. "And by the looks of things, you're really not doing well at all."

Daniel leaned against the doorframe, attempting to be casual about the situation. Tilting his head, he raised an eyebrow at her. "Betty, I thought we talked about this. You're not supposed to be here."

Betty looked around the hallway and then tiptoed to look past Daniel's shoulder into the loft. "Why not? Are you expecting company?"

He shook his head and stared at her. "No…but I don't want you here," he replied, more abruptly than intended.

Betty bit on her bottom lip and looked down slightly, away from his gaze. "Oh. Well…I'm not trying to bother you. I just came by to see how things are," she replied quietly.

Immediately, Daniel picked up on her discomfort and the tinge of disappointment in her voice. He winced and thumped his forehead lightly against the doorway.

Turning back to Betty, Daniel ducked his head slightly in order to meet her eyes. "No – Betty, I didn't mean it that way. Of course I don't mind having you here under normal circumstances. It's just that, well…I really don't want you to catch my cold," he replied hoarsely before coughing to the side. If anything, Daniel wanted to quarantine himself from the rest of the world at the moment, especially from his assistant. The last thing he wanted to do was spread his misery to her.

Betty looked up at him with a reassuring smile. "Oh! Well, you don't have to worry about that. I already had my flu shot. I'll be fine," she nodded confidently.

"Flu shot?"

"Yeah. The flu shot…you know, the one that I suggested you get two months ago?" She gave him a knowing look. "Remember? I told you flu season would be in high swing this year."

For a minute, Daniel thought back and recalled that particular conversation with Betty. When Betty heard about the predictions of a possible influenza epidemic on the news, she tried to convince him to get one. However, due to his secret fear of needles, Daniel insisted that getting the shot wasn't necessary since he rarely got sick. Or so he thought.

_Good call on my part_, Daniel thought dryly to himself. _Considering the hell that I'm currently going through, a little needle doesn't seem so bad now. Heck, I wouldn't mind being poked all over if it meant I could finally get a good night's sleep._

"Daniel?" Betty looked at him curiously and wondered why he was so silent. "Are you okay?"

Upon hearing Betty's voice, Daniel snapped to attention. Blinking, he focused back on Betty's large brown eyes staring back at him.

"Oh…I'm fine." He straightened up and pulled the blanket closer around his shoulders. "Look — I don't think it's a good idea for you to be here, Betty. Besides, flu shot or not, we already discussed this. Right now, you're supposed to be at home. I asked you to spend the rest of the day with your family, and you promised me that you would."

Betty shook her head and waved a finger at him. "No, that's not entirely true. See, you told me to spend the rest of the day with my family, but I never _promised_ you that I would do it."

_Ah, she got me there. _Daniel smiled inwardly. _But maybe I can get away with it. It's not like she taped our conversation._

"Betty – "

"And don't tell me that I did," Betty interjected defiantly. "You're lucky that I don't have our conversation on tape."

Daniel chuckled with amusement and surprise as he rubbed his nose with his handkerchief. He had to admit – sometimes it could be entertaining and delightful to watch Betty become defensive and annoyed, especially when he was the source of her irritation. But his amusement quietly turned to amazement as he realized how easy it was for them to read each other like a book. Sometimes, it could take years for two people in any type of relationship to be in sync with each other's thoughts and actions. Yet, they managed to grasp the inner workings of each other's minds within a matter of five months. In all his acquaintance, Daniel couldn't think of anyone that he related to better than Betty. In fact, it was much easier for him to associate with her than with anyone else – even his own parents. Sometimes, that thought alone was enough to leave him awestruck.

Clearing his throat, Daniel rubbed the back of his neck and waved a hand in Betty's direction. "Okay, okay," he gave in with a small grin. "Point taken." After seeing her smile back with satisfaction, he continued. "But I really wanted you to take the rest of the day off to be with your family and Wi - well, you know, do whatever it is you usually do on your day off."

Daniel paused mid-sentence, attempting to mention Betty's boyfriend's name. Unfortunately, for the life of him, he couldn't remember what it was. _Wilbur, Wallace…_Daniel pondered. _Damn it._ _I know that kid's name starts with a 'W'._ Considering Betty had already corrected him a few times before, Daniel didn't want to embarrass himself again by saying the wrong name. For some odd reason, the boy's name never stuck in his mind.

Betty shook her head. "Like I said over the phone, I really appreciate that you're considering my needs. But it's still early, and no one is home yet. And I think Walter doesn't get out of work until 6 or 7 today."

_That's it – Walter! Well, I was close_, Daniel chuckled inwardly. Unexpectedly, another thought came into his mind that left him very amused. Betty looked inquisitively at him as a teasing smile suddenly came over his face.

"Well…you could always spend the day with Henry instead," he replied with a sly grin.

Betty rolled her eyes slightly and blushed. _I should've never opened up about that. _ She pursed her lips in embarrassment, and gently admonished him. "You're evil, you know that?"

As Daniel smiled impishly at her, Betty's thoughts wandered as she considered where she was and what she could be doing instead of looking after her friend. Considering all the options, the truth was that she didn't want to be anywhere else at that very moment except there with him. Whether or not Daniel admitted it, Betty could tell from his tired, sickly appearance that he needed some kind of assistance. And she certainly wasn't going to leave him alone – not like this. Maybe others didn't care what happened to him, but she did.

_I need to convince him, one way or another. _Pushing up her glasses, Betty steered the conversation away from Henry and back to her original point. "Look, Daniel – as you said, it's my free time. I can choose to spend it exactly as I please. And right now, I felt that being here and checking on you was the best way to spend the rest of the afternoon."

Daniel sighed and leaned his head tiredly against the doorframe. _I am definitely not going to win this one. _He closed his eyes in defeat. _Then again, it's Betty. When do I ever win against her?_

This time, it was Betty's turn to be playful. She lifted an eyebrow at Daniel. "Just so you know, I did weigh my options beforehand. I realized that I could either come here, or spend the rest of the day at home watching _Jerry Springer_." She paused and replied dryly, "It was either you or the drag queens. Seriously, you won by the narrowest of margins." To illustrate just how narrow it was, Betty pressed her index finger and thumb together in front of him.

The silly gesture and the sarcasm in her voice were too much for Daniel. He attempted to suppress his laughter, but it was impossible. He studied the stoic look on her face, and when she didn't flinch, he let out an amused snort. Betty also tried her best to keep a straight face, but within a matter of seconds, she gave up and giggled after seeing his reaction. But the humor quickly passed when Daniel turned away from her and coughed abruptly, bringing Betty back to the reality of Daniel's situation.

"Daniel…Daniel, are you okay?" She quickly placed the bag that she was holding down on the floor and took a step closer to him.

Daniel took a moment to slowly breathe in. As he turned to face her, Betty noticed that his face was flushed.

"I'm alright. Just feeling…a little dizzy, for some reason." Daniel shook his head, attempting to rid himself of his nausea. When that didn't work, he closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Betty became more anxious as she observed Daniel's discomfort. _This doesn't look good._ Betty picked up the paper bag that she had put down and looked over Daniel's shoulder into his loft. "Look, it's really cold out in this corridor. You shouldn't be standing out here any longer than necessary. I really think you should go back to bed." She bit the inside of her lip as she continued to watch him. "In fact, I think we should both go inside. If you just let me, I think I can help."

Daniel stopped and regarded her for a moment. Betty was right. Although they were inside the building, the temperature in the hallway was almost as chilly as outside. From the paleness on her face, he could tell that she was probably freezing as well. She was just too polite to complain about it. More importantly, she had been thoughtful enough to leave the warmth of her own home just to visit him in this cold weather. _I can't force her to go away_, he concluded reluctantly.

"Well…it's definitely too cold for anyone to be out here, including you." He paused and let out a breath. "And…it looks like I'm out of arguments," he chuckled wearily.

After observing her for a moment, Daniel slowly clutched the blanket around his shoulders and moved forward to pick up the bag at Betty's feet. Holding the bag in his left hand, he leaned his back against the door, and motioned slowly with his head for Betty to enter. "You win, Betty."


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** Snuggling Charles Dickens

**Pairing:** Daniel/Betty

**Rating:** K+ (or PG)

**Summary:** Daniel Meade is having an awful day, but can his assistant help turn things around?

**Timeline:** AU; Takes place in late January 2007 - sometime after the episode "In or Out" but before "I'm Coming Out".

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters.

**A/N: **To everyone who's been following this story, I'm very sorry for the long gap in between chapters. I'm currently juggling work and a college project/thesis at the moment, so my brain is kind of stretched out in various places, LOL. But I'm still very much inspired to write this story and I will finish it soon. There are only a few chapters left before we get to the end.

As always, I greatly appreciate your reviews, feedback, and support! Thank you to all the usual readers, and to the new ones who've come by recently, thank you very much for giving my story a chance. :) I hope everyone will stick with me to the end on this one.

But now, on to the chapter...and I hope you don't mind long ones because this chapter is one of the longest I've ever written for this fic. I hope you all enjoy! ;)

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"Yay! You won't be sorry, Daniel! I promise."

Despite his lingering reservations about the situation, Daniel couldn't help but grin as Betty beamed at him. Her cheerful disposition always made him smile, but this time it affected him even more. She was about to waste the rest of her day at his loft – knowing it was a bacterial breeding ground – yet she couldn't be more genuinely happy about being there.

"Now…let me just get this…" Speaking more to herself than to Daniel, Betty fumbled with the strap of her handbag around her shoulder and proceeded to pick up the paper bag on the floor.

"Let me take that," he offered.

She shook her head as she picked up the bag. "No, that's alright. I've got it covered. Besides, your blanket will fall."

As she moved past him into the loft, Betty couldn't help but smile inwardly at Daniel's manners. Even in sickness, he still managed to be thoughtful. For Betty, it was a pity that most people never saw this side of him. Often, the public was used to seeing her boss in a very glamorous (and often scandalous) light. Practically every major magazine in the world had chronicled the flashy, jet-setting lifestyle of Daniel Meade, while even more tabloids detailed his weekly womanizing escapades. However, after five months of getting to work with him, Betty realized that there was much more to the man than his famous name and his infamous reputation. Take away the fancy suits and the wealth, and all that the world would have left is the "real" Daniel Meade - a talented guy with a kind heart. _If only more people would pay attention, then they'd really see that_, she thought.

As Daniel closed the door, she turned to watch him over her shoulder. "Daniel, you don't have to carry that bag. I can get it." Betty carefully set down the paper bag that she was carrying against the wall. She reached out to grab the duffle bag from his hand, but he held on to it as he bolted the door.

"I'm fine, Betty," he replied hoarsely. "It's just a bag. You know, having a cold doesn't mean I'm invalid. I can…handle…whoa…" As Daniel turned towards her, an intense wave of dizziness came over him, causing him to shut his eyes and lean against the door for support.

Immediately, Betty's eyes widened with concern. "Oh!" She quickly stepped over to him and gently placed her hand on his arm, which felt unusually cold. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

He squinted his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. "I'm not sure. It felt like I got the wind knocked out of me just right now. This cold is really playing games with my entire body."

Fearing that he might fall, Betty placed her right hand on his back to steady him. _I think this is more than just a little cold, _she sighed. _We'll find out soon enough._

"You definitely need to get back into bed right now. But first, let me hold that." Betty gestured toward the duffle bag in Daniel's hand. He relented and handed it to her. "Do you think that you can make it to the bedroom?"

Daniel slowly opened his eyes and turned to her. "Yeah…I can make it."

"Do you need to lean on me?" Betty took her hand off of his arm but continued to support his back.

"No, it's okay. I think I can make it," he replied softly, ignoring the dizziness that remained and the wobbly feeling in his legs. A shiver went down his spine, causing him to move away from Betty's supporting hand. He tugged at his blanket and brought it closer around his shoulders.

Slowly, Daniel pushed off the door and straightened up. After pausing for a second to gather his bearings, he started to walk forward cautiously. Betty followed him from behind, keeping a sharp eye on his every move. It worried her that he was experiencing intense dizzy spells. However, she took it as a good sign that Daniel hadn't sneezed at all since her arrival.

Or so she thought.

"ACH-CHOO!"

Betty halted in her tracks and cringed. _So much for wishful thinking. _"Bless you."

"Thanks," Daniel replied weakly. He continued to walk forward, but within a matter of seconds, he lost his balance and swayed to the side.

"Whoa!"

As Betty rushed forward to help, Daniel moved away from her and leaned against the wall.

"No…I don't want you to get too close to me, Betty," he said quietly as he stuck his right arm out to put distance between them.

"Why not?"

"Well, just look at me. Who knows how many germs are residing in this body? I still think I'm putting you at risk by letting you in here."

Ignoring his protests, she moved closer towards him and gave him a sympathetic look. "I had the flu shot, remember? I'm good to go, Daniel. Really!" She emphasized the last part when she saw the skeptical look on his face. "Look, you know that you can't walk on your own. You're going to fall without my help. If that happens, there's no way that I'll be able to drag you to your bedroom, or even to the couch. So, I think it's best that you let me help – unless you _want_ to sleep on this hard floor." Betty raised an eyebrow at him.

Looking to the floor, Daniel ruffled his hair before glancing back at her. After considering her words for a few seconds, he nodded. "Alright." He lifted his right arm as a gesture for Betty to come closer to him. Immediately, she stepped up next to him and placed her left hand on his back, underneath the blanket. In turn, Daniel clutched the blanket and put his right arm lightly around her shoulder, allowing his blanket to cover them both.

Slowly, they trekked their way towards the bedroom, which proved to be harder than Betty had anticipated. Two months ago, when her boss fell drunk on Thanksgiving, she was able to assist him to his town car and back to her home without much trouble. However, this time there were more obstacles to contend with that Betty didn't consider. To begin with, Daniel's blanket proved to be more foe than friend. The blanket was so lengthy that Betty often found herself stepping on it as they walked past the corner and around some furniture pieces. Secondly, there was the issue of Betty juggling both the duffle bag and Daniel. She realized a little too late that the extra weight of the bag was definitely making it harder for her to hold on to Daniel as easily as she would've liked. Unfortunately, at that point, dropping the bag was out of the question since it was bound to get tangled in the blanket.

For the most part, Daniel tried his best not to lean too much on Betty's shoulders, but the uncontrollable dizziness in his head forced him to hold on more heavily to her petite frame than he would've wished. In return, Betty tried her best to keep him steady and upright by holding on to his waist. However, as her shoulders and arms became tired, she pursed her lips and silently prayed that she wouldn't lose her grip on him. It worried her that at any moment, they would both fall into a blanketed heap on the floor. Luckily for her, they reached the edge of Daniel's bed before her limbs gave out.

_Oh, we made it._ Betty sighed with relief, as she dropped the duffle and her handbag on the floor. _Thank God._ Slowly, she released her hold on Daniel and gently removed the blanket that was around his shoulders. As she did so, he seated himself on the bed and prepared himself to lie down when Betty stopped him.

"Wait – let me fix those." He angled himself up and allowed her to fluff and position his pillows neatly before laying down his head. As he settled himself in bed, Betty gently tucked the comforter up to his shoulders. She then took the thin blanket that Daniel had wrapped around himself and stretched it over the comforter as an extra layer.

Feeling that something was still missing, Betty turned around and surveyed the room. Although it was warmer inside the loft than in the corridor, she could still feel a chill in the air. The tall ceiling and the large amount of space certainly made the loft feel more airy and colder during winter. In an attempt to garner warmth, Betty rubbed her hands together. Finally, she returned her attention to Daniel as he lay on the bed breathing heavily with his eyes closed. _Maybe he needs another blanket_.

"Daniel?" She leaned over and softly nudged his arm. "Where do you keep the rest of your bed sheets? I'm going to get another blanket."

"Hmm?" Daniel's eyes opened slightly, and he shifted to face her. "Oh…this is it." He tugged at both blankets that were on his bed. "I don't have anything else."

"I thought you might say that," she replied quietly with a nod. Turning away from him, she picked up the duffle bag and her handbag off the floor and positioned them on the nearest chair. Daniel watched her curiously from behind as she unzipped the duffle.

"So…what exactly do you have in that bag?" He asked cautiously. _She's not thinking of staying over here, is she?_ For a moment, he thought of asking her directly but decided against it. "You know, from the size of that thing, it looks like you're going to pitch camp," he mumbled quietly.

"Well…sort of." She stopped unzipping the bag and turned to face him with an innocent look on her face. "This is just my sleeping bag and a few toiletry items. There's enough room in your bathroom for my stuff, right?"

"What?! You can't be – I mean, wait a minute. Let's talk – "

"Gotcha."

For a few seconds longer, he continued to stare at her in confusion, which made Betty smile even more. _Yup – there it is. The "Daniel in headlights" look. It never fails._ Without a doubt, it was the same look from two months prior, when Betty had tricked him into believing that they had "slept together". His expression was so priceless that there was no way she could ever forget it.

"Relax, it's just a joke! You know – a joke?" She waved her hand dismissively at him in an attempt to persuade him. "Sorry, Daniel, but that was too good to pass up. You really should've seen the look on your face just now."

"Very funny," he replied awkwardly, as he lay back down and pulled the covers up further. _I've got to stop falling for that one._

Turning back to the duffle, Betty pulled out a multi-colored blanket and laid it on the chair. As she walked over to Daniel, he blinked at the sight of the blanket in her hands. "Wow. That is one large blanket."

"And it's really comfy. We have a few of these at home, so I decided to bring one over."

Daniel watched his assistant as she laid the blanket down on the bed and carefully unfolded it. "You didn't have to do that."

"It's not a problem." She shook her head as she stretched the thick blanket over the other layers. "When I came over here last time, I couldn't help but notice that things seemed pretty plain in your apartment. Kind of…Spartan, you know? That's when I realized you might be lacking a few necessary items, so I brought them with me – just in case. And now, I'm glad that I did."

Daniel opened his mouth to argue, but reconsidered as Betty tucked the blanket under his arms. _I guess she has a point. I am missing a few things. But, c'mon – Spartan?_

"Hey – wait a minute. What do you mean Spartan? My place is not that bad. It's minimal, but classy," he replied in a hoarse, yet mildly defensive voice.

For a second, Betty looked at him as she walked to the other side of the bed to stretch the blanket. Finally, she stopped and crossed her arms over her chest. After glancing around at the room's decor, she nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, it's nice, but it just seems a little…I don't know…boring, I guess? That's just me, though. I mean, I'm sure this is the fashion." She shrugged her shoulders casually and returned both her attention and her efforts to smoothing out the blanket in front of her.

From the corner of her eye, however, she noticed the indignant look on Daniel's face as he opened his mouth to retort. When the words failed to come to him, he looked away and sighed in exasperation instead, causing Betty to bite her bottom lip in an attempt not to giggle.

Suddenly, Daniel turned his head away from her and grabbed his handkerchief from the bed stand. "Ohhh…" He closed his eyes and braced himself as he felt another strong urge to sneeze coming on. "Ach-CHOO!" Groaning, he noisily blew his nose and plopped his head back down on the bed.

Betty grimaced and looked over at the empty tissue box lying sideways on his bed stand. "Bless you. Again."

"Thanks," he replied weakly.

_Hmm. Let's see here… _As she removed her coat, she walked back to the chair that held both of her bags. After laying it next to her handbag, she fumbled through the duffle and brought out a small, cube-sized tissue box.

"Here you go." She grabbed the empty Kleenex box on the bed stand, and placed the new tissue box on the bed next to her friend. "I wasn't sure, but I thought you might be needing this."

Daniel opened his eyes and looked at the item next to his arm. "Hey, I'm definitely out of these," he replied eagerly. Slowly, he picked up the cubical box and stared at it. "When the other box ran empty, I was forced to use the silk handkerchief from my suit pocket." He looked back at Betty and managed a tired smile. "This is a big help, Betty. Thank you."

She smiled down at him. "No problem." Her smile, however, turned into a tiny frown as she took in Daniel's complexion. His face was still flushed, which brought back her initial worries. However, she decided to push them out of her mind for a little while longer in order to concentrate on the remaining tasks at hand.

As Daniel tore through the plastic slit on the tissue box, Betty glanced over at his bed stand and noticed the nearly-empty bottle of Nyquil. She picked up the box of Tylenol Cold tablets that lay right next to the Nyquil and turned it upside down, only to find that there was one blister-packaged tablet left.

She turned to Daniel, lifting both the Nyquil and the Tylenol tablet in each hand. "Is this all that you have left?"

He turned to her as he pulled a tissue out. "No, I'm sure there's more in the bathroom. I didn't get up to look yet since…" (He paused to rub his nose.) "…since I just finished taking some two hours ago." Slowly, he laid his head back against the headboard and closed his eyes.

"Alright. Well, I'll take a look." She walked towards the direction of the bathroom and gasped as soon as she set foot inside. "Oh my God – what happened in here?"

He immediately knew what she was referring to. "Oh yeah…my tux is still in there."

"Well, yeah – among other things." Betty leaned halfway out the bathroom door and held up Daniel's tuxedo coat and shirt in one hand and the pants in the other. "Why is it crumpled all over the floor like this, along with your towels…and your bathrobe?" She went back in and continued to pick up the rest of the items off of the floor. "Then again, maybe I don't want to know," she added meaningfully.

"I heard that," he retorted. "And no, I didn't have anyone over this weekend." Scooting further under the covers, he pulled the blanket layers up to his chest and rested his left arm over his forehead. "Vera Wang was hosting a charity benefit on Saturday night, so I went. I think I mentioned it to you last week, right? Anyway, I left early when I started feeling like crap. I came home, changed, and fell into bed just like that." Daniel slowly opened one eye and looked in the direction of the bathroom before shutting it again. "As for the rest of the mess…well, my bathroom's usually like that…until the cleaning lady comes by," he added sheepishly.

"But Daniel," Betty called out, as she laid out each piece of clothing onto her arms, "You should've at least put these on the chair. Do you realize that you could've tripped over these and hurt yourself? I know I almost did."

He paused momentarily before giving off a weak laugh. "Hey, it gives new meaning to 'killer wardrobe', doesn't it? That would make an interesting tag line in our next issue, don't you think?"

Betty poked her head out of the bathroom door and eyed him skeptically. "Have you been drinking liquor with your Nyquil?"

"No, of course not." Daniel quieted down and looked tiredly at her. He rubbed his face with both hands in frustration. "What you're actually seeing are the effects of insomnia on my brain." He paused to stare at the ceiling. "The truth is, I haven't been able to sleep much since Saturday night, and it's driving me nuts! It doesn't matter what I try, Betty – music, medicine…I mean, nothing is helping. Honestly, I don't know what to do anymore." He grabbed the extra pillow that was lying next to him and covered his face. "This feels like the seventh circle of hell."

With her boss's tuxedo in her arms, Betty walked out from the bathroom door and stood by the edge of his bed. She watched him sympathetically as he lay with his face covered.

"Are you still feeling dizzy?"

"A little," he replied softly from beneath his pillow. "But if I lie here long enough, I'm sure it'll go away. I'm…good, I guess. No problem."

It was bad enough for Betty to see her usually healthy boss lying in misery, but it was even more painful for her to hear the hint of desperation in his voice. _I really hope I can help somehow._

After laying his tuxedo carefully on the chair, she returned to the bathroom and glanced at the items sitting on the sink. When she saw nothing useful, she decided to open the medicine cabinet instead. Carefully, she picked up and perused each item inside.

_Okay, let's see. What do we have here…shaving cream, Old Spice aftershave, deodorant, CK cologne, Trojan co – whoa! _

Betty grimaced and drew her fingers away from the open Trojan box as if it were on fire. Unfortunately, the sudden movement of her hands caused it to fall and crash into a plastic cup that was sitting on the edge of the sink in front of her. Before Betty could catch them, both items dropped noisily onto the floor, leaving a tiny mess of condoms all over the floor. For a few seconds, she did nothing but gape in horror at the floor.

_Crap! Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap…_

Wincing, she poked her head out the door to see if Daniel had heard the ruckus. To her relief, he was still too busy turning restlessly with his head underneath the pillow to pay any attention. After taking a breath, Betty rushed back inside. Getting on her knees, she quickly picked the cup off the floor and placed it on the sink. Hesitantly, she grabbed the box of prophylactics and proceeded to pick up every loose strip from the floor using only her index finger and thumb.

_Oh boy…one minute I'm picking up his dry cleaning, and the next minute I'm picking up his condoms. Ack!_ Betty scrunched her face as she picked up another strip and placed it inside the box. _But at least life with him is never boring. Never a dull moment. _

As soon as she picked up the last strip and dropped it in the box, she rose to her feet and secured the flap on the box. Eager to get rid of it, she hastily pushed the box towards the back of the cabinet, away from her line of sight.

Taking another deep breath, Betty quickly washed her hands and glanced at herself in the bathroom mirror. "Okay. That never happened."

"Did you say something, Betty?" Daniel called out suddenly from the bedroom.

_Yikes._ Slowly, she leaned out of the doorway and gave Daniel a calm smile. "Nope. But I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay," he replied groggily and shifted in his bed once again.

Leaning back in, Betty looked at the floor and let out a deep sigh. _That was close. _As she pushed up her glasses on her nose, she turned her attention back to the medicine cabinet and continued sifting through the rest of the items. However, after a minute or two of searching, she came up with nothing more than a bottle of multivitamins. _So, this is it. Well, at least I came prepared with something,_ she thought with satisfaction.

As Betty walked out of the bathroom, she looked over at Daniel as he lay curled up on his side, tightly hugging one of his pillows. "It looks like you don't have any more medicine, except multivitamins," she explained as she dug her hands into her handbag.

"No kidding." Daniel peered at her from behind the oversized pillow that was huddled against his chest. "That's great," he replied nasally. "It's not like it matters, anyway. None of it was conducive to sleep. I would know, of course." He turned on his back and squinted at the ceiling, as if he were trying to decipher a puzzle. "I think I can do without the medication."

Betty gave him a questioning look as she continued to rummage in both bags. "Are you sure?"

"I'll be okay." His attention remained fixated on the ceiling as he let out another cough. "I mean, I guess it helped a little, but as for my sleeping problem? Forget it. I'd probably have better luck counting sheep." Suddenly, his face became pensive as he considered the sheep concept. "Now there's something I haven't tried." _Would that work?_

"Well, if you change your mind, I'll put these over here," Betty walked over to his bed stand and laid out several medicinal items, including Robitussin and a box of Tylenol capsules.

Daniel looked over in surprise as he watched Betty arrange the items. As he slowly propped himself up on his elbows, he switched his gaze from Betty to the medicine. "Betty…you brought all of this with you?"

She turned to him and smiled brightly. "Yeah, of course. I had to come prepared, especially since your loft – "

"Is plain, boring, Spartan – yes, I know. Thanks for the reminder," he finished wryly.

"You know I was only kidding with that, Daniel."

"I know," he nodded with a small, knowing smile.

"Good." She bit her lip and turned her attention to the medicine. But just when Daniel thought the discussion was over, Betty gestured to the floor and added, "Still, I'd probably change this rug. And you know that girl painted on your wall? What is – "

In response, Daniel fell back onto his bed and rolled his eyes. "You really know how to kick a guy when he's down, don't you?"

Upon seeing the half-pained, half-amused expression on his face, Betty giggled quietly and put her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. Seriously, I'll stop." Smiling softly, she turned towards the bed stand and continued arranging the medicine.

Lying onto his side, Daniel looked thoughtfully at Betty as she broke through the plastic wrappings and sealants on each item. For a moment, he smiled to himself as he recalled the first moment he saw her. How could he ever forget it? She had walked smack-dab into one of the glass walls in the office, wearing that bright red poncho. To everyone (including himself), Betty appeared to be out of her league at _Mode_. Initially, he thought that she would never be able to fit in, especially as his assistant. Now, he couldn't imagine having any other assistant at his side but her. Without a doubt, she had all of the qualities that an editor-in-chief would appreciate in an assistant: Intelligence, creativity, diligence, resourcefulness…you name it. But after five months of working with her, he realized that those weren't the qualities that made her stand out from the crowd. What made Betty really extraordinary was her big heart. In that respect, she was completely different from anyone that he had ever met in his whole life. There was nothing shallow or cold about her. Instead, she always managed to be kind and respectful towards everyone, regardless of how they treated her. More importantly, it never ceased to amaze him just how truly considerate and caring she could be around him, both in and out of the office.

_There really should be more people in the world just like her._

As Betty crumpled the wrappings and the sealants into a ball, she looked over at him and gave him a quick smile. Daniel returned the smile and continued to watch her as she walked into the bathroom with the plastic ball in her hands. _But I guess that's what makes her so special. She'll always be one of a kind. And I wouldn't want to change that._

Soon, Betty emerged from the bathroom with a glass full of water and placed it on the bed stand. "Here you go. You can use this when you take your medicine."

Daniel smiled up at her as he looked over at the bed stand. "Thanks for doing this, Betty."

"You're welcome. I just want to speed up your recovery," she replied, grinning warmly at him. "And that's why you can't blame me for teasing you."

His eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked at her. "Uh…how exactly does that help me?"

"Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'Laughter is the best medicine'?"

At that, Daniel raised his eyebrows at her. "Well, yeah – but so far, I'm not the one laughing here. You are!"

"Okay, that's true." Betty giggled at the feigned expression of hurt on her friend's face. "But hey – it works, right? Look at me. I'm healthy."

Daniel shook his head as a lop-sided grin graced his face. "I give up." Running a hand through his hair, he slowly sat up and reached for the glass sitting on the bed stand. After he had taken a sip and set the glass down, he picked up the Tylenol and was attempting to break open the box when Betty took it from his hand.

"Wait! Not yet." She placed the box back on the table.

Daniel stared at her with surprise as she snatched it away. "Why not?"

"First things first." Betty reached into her vest pocket and presented a thermometer. "I need to take your temperature."

He sat up as she spoke. "You brought a thermometer with you? Oh, come on." He looked at the instrument and raised his eyebrows at her. "Betty, is that really necessary?"

Before he could say another word, Betty laid her hand on his forehead and immediately noticed how warm he felt compared to the coolness of her hand. _This isn't normal body temperature,_ she concluded.

As soon as Betty touched his forehead, Daniel immediately scrunched his eyelids shut. Within seconds, however, his lids relaxed as her palm moved slowly across his head and brushed the top of his eyebrows. To his surprise, the soft, cool touch of her hand felt nice and comforting against the warmth of his skin. As her hand moved gingerly across his skin, a tiny part of him hoped that she would continue to caress his forehead a little while longer. Suddenly, Daniel opened his eyes and blinked as he considered the inappropriateness of that thought. _Where did that come from?_

Before he could give more thought to it, Betty lifted her hand from his forehead and voiced her worry. "I think it is. Daniel, you insist on saying that all you have is a 'tiny cold', but I really think you have the flu. In fact, I've been thinking that since I spoke to you this morning. Now, it seems like you might even have a fever."

Daniel lay against the headboard and rubbed at his throat. "You know, it's possible that all of these blankets are making me warmer than usual. Don't you think?" he countered logically.

"I doubt it." Betty shook her head and moved closer to him on the edge of the bed. "When I came in earlier, I noticed that you already looked pinkish."

"Well, that could mean anything," he replied hoarsely, slowly edging away from her and tugging at the covers.

"There's only one way to find out for sure." She waved the thermometer in his direction, and smiled cheerfully at him with a knowing look in her eyes. "Let's get a reading!"

"That's okay. Let's skip it. Less work for both of us." Daniel smiled tightly and gestured at the bed stand. "I think I'll just take the medicine and everything will be fine. I mean, that's what it's here for, right?"

Looking away, Betty tapped the thermometer lightly against her hand and fought the urge to roll her eyes. _God, it's just a little thermometer. Why does he have to make this harder than it is? _She looked back at Daniel, as he slowly shuffled with the blankets. _It's times like this that I wish he were drunk_, she pondered. _This would be so much easier._

"Besides, Betty, I know my own body. If something was really wrong with me, I would kn – AW!" Without any warning, Betty leaned forward on the bed, cupped his chin, and slowly positioned the thermometer under his tongue. Luckily for her, she had an easy time at it, since Daniel was too stunned to move at all.

"I'm sorry that I'm pouncing on you, Daniel – really, I am," Betty emphasized as she took in the dazed look on his face. "But you're trying to filibuster your way out of this, and frankly, I don't want to hear it. I need to know if you have a fever right now, before you get any worse."

Daniel blinked and switched his gaze between Betty's face and her hands. She continued to gently hold his chin in place, as she fixed the thermometer. As soon as she was satisfied, she straightened up and smiled at him. "See? That wasn't too bad, was it? Not painful at all!" Neither expecting nor wanting an answer, Betty continued on and pressed lightly on his chest with both hands. "Okay – now, lie back."

He hesitantly obeyed and lay back against the bed. "Beddy, wot – ?"

Betty hovered the tips of her fingers close to his mouth. "No – don't talk while that's in your mouth. Just relax." She lowered her hand and walked around the bed, while smoothing and stretching the blankets around Daniel's lean form.

Stepping back, Betty took a look at Daniel tucked into the bed and smiled happily. "Great!" Rolling up the sleeves of her blouse, she stopped to look up at her friend, who was looking unsure and confused at the moment – almost like a little lost boy. She turned her eyes towards her sleeves in an attempt to suppress the smile that was threatening to creep onto her face. The last thing she wanted was for Daniel to get edgy again by seeing her giggle. After fixing her sleeves, she composed herself and looked him in the eyes.

"It takes approximately five minutes or so to get an accurate reading. So, just sit tight and I'll take that out when I come back, alright?" Betty nodded in Daniel's direction before turning to walk out.

The sight of her leaving without so much of an explanation bothered him so much that he quickly sat up. "Beddy, wer – " _This is ridiculous_, he thought as he pulled the thermometer out of his mouth. "Where are you going?"

She grabbed the paper bag that was leaning near the doorway and pointed down the hallway. "I'm just going to the kitchen. I need to get some food ready."

"Food? But you don't know where everything is. Really, you don't have to cook –"

"Don't worry, Daniel. I have it covered. I won't be making anything from scratch, so you don't have to worry about me burning down the place."

He looked at her curiously as he scratched at the nape of his neck. "If you're not cooking, then how – "

Betty smiled cryptically at him. "Don't worry. You'll see." Soon, her attention returned to the misplaced thermometer lying in his hand. "Okay, now I'm going to have to put that back in." Betty walked back to the bed and gave him an admonishing look, but Daniel acted before she could reach him.

"No, no, I can do it!" Afraid of being tackled again, he quickly placed the thermometer back under his tongue and pulled the covers up to his chest. He looked back at Betty and gestured with both hands to assure her that everything was put back just as she left it.

Upon seeing this, Betty halted in her tracks and smiled, nodding her assent. "Alright, but don't remove it. I need to get an accurate reading on you." As soon as he nodded back at her, she turned and disappeared around the corner.

Daniel could do nothing more but shake his head in disbelief as she departed from the room. _I can't believe my assistant just grabbed me - and she's holding me hostage in my own bed. _ He continued to stare blankly at the spot where Betty stood just seconds earlier, but soon a tiny, amused smile formed on his lips as he considered the humor of the situation. It was both amazing and funny that a tiny, sweet girl from Queens could act this way with him – or with anyone, for that matter. But that was Betty for you. She was always a woman on the move, especially when she set her mind to something. And this time, she had set her mind on taking care of him at all costs, no matter what.

Reaching over to the bed stand, Daniel picked up the Robitussin bottle and looked at it momentarily before setting it back down. As he looked down at the thick blanket covering his body, he thought back to how hopeless he felt before Betty arrived. He had to admit – now that she was there helping out, things felt…different. Of course, his head still hurt and his throat continued to itch, but despite that, he felt more at ease with everything.

_I guess it really doesn't hurt to have her around right now – even if she does "rough me up" in her own way. _Chuckling at the thought, Daniel rubbed at his eyes. As his head began to throb again, he laid flat on his back and slid further underneath the blanket layers. With nothing better to do, he stared quietly at the ceiling, with the thermometer pressed in between his lips, and waited patiently for Betty to return.

* * *

**_A/N:_** _I hope that wasn't too long for you all, and I hope you enjoyed Daniel and Betty here. The next chapter shouldn't be too long from now. Anyway, kindly review and tell me what you think. :)_


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** Snuggling Charles Dickens

**Pairing:** Daniel/Betty

**Rating:** K+ (or PG)

**Summary:** Daniel Meade is having an awful day, but can his assistant help turn things around?

**Timeline:** AU; Takes place in late January 2007 - sometime after the episode "In or Out" but before "I'm Coming Out".

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters.

**A/N: **It's really been a long time since I updated this fic, and I apologize for that - especially since I mentioned last time that the next chapter would be up "soon". Sorry about that. I didn't mean to leave readers hanging. :( But I'd like to thank those who've been sticking with this story and leaving comments for me over the past few months, weeks, etc. If I could give all of you guys cookies, I certainly would. :) And to any new readers, I thank you very much in advance for reading, commenting, and/or giving this story a chance.

Now, on to the chapter...

* * *

**Chapter 8**_  
_

_Perfect. This should do it_. With her hands on her hips, Betty smiled as she looked over the preparations that sat on the table in front of her. Feeling satisfied, she carefully picked up each bowl, plate, and utensil and placed them on a wooden tray that she had found in the kitchen cupboard. As a finishing touch, she picked up a thin glass vase that held one pink gerber daisy and positioned it on the corner of the tray.

After tidying up the kitchen countertop and washing her hands, Betty turned around one last time and surveyed the kitchen to make sure everything was in its place. Seeing that everything was satisfactory, she picked up the tray of food and slowly walked down the corridor back to Daniel's bedroom. Upon arriving at the doorway, her eyes caught sight of Daniel squinting in deep concentration at a point on the ceiling that was right above his head. For a moment, she paused in her tracks and looked up at the area where his gaze was firmly fixed.

Feeling confused, she continued walking towards the bed and carefully placed the tray on the floor beside the bed stand. Betty half-expected that her presence in the room and the clinking noises from the tray would break into Daniel's concentration. Surprisingly, however, his gaze remained fixated on the ceiling even after she turned to face him. Placing her hands on her hips, she watched carefully as her boss continued to twist his head sideways to scrutinize the area above.

_God, I need to help him before he really loses his mind_.

Stepping closer to the edge of the bed, Betty cleared her throat. "So…let's see what your temperature's like, shall we?"

The sound of her voice finally broke into Daniel's trance. Slowly, he turned his head and stared at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. As he did so, Betty reached over and slowly pulled the thermometer from his lips. Carefully, she knelt down near the bed stand and held the thermometer underneath the lamp. But when her curiosity took over again, she stopped short of taking the reading and glanced over at Daniel, who was staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Daniel, what were you doing just now before I walked in?"

He ran one hand over his face and through his hair before gesturing towards the ceiling. "Well, after you left, I started counting every single one of those bumps in the ceiling. That's almost like counting sheep, right? Anyway, it was something that I never tried before, so I thought counting the bumps might make me sleep."

"Is it working?"

Daniel snorted softly. "Nope. Not at all…but I noticed two small fractures in my ceiling that weren't there before. I'll probably have to get those fixed before the snowstorms hit. I wouldn't want this place to become one giant snow globe."

Betty initially raised her eyebrows at him as she considered the silliness of the idea. Slowly, however, a faint smile formed on her lips as she briefly imagined a toddler shaking a plastic snow globe replica of the loft, complete with "mini-Daniel" rolling around inside. _Gosh, that is so Twilight Zone –_

"Betty?"

Immediately, Betty blinked and saw the inquisitive look on Daniel's face as he lightly waved his hand to get her attention. "Are you okay? You zoned out on me for a second."

"Oh – I'm fine." Betty gave him a quick reassuring smile and brushed aside the funny image from her thoughts. She really didn't see the need to tell her boss that she had just imagined him as some child's plaything. "You know, Daniel, there are better ways to get to sleep than staring at the ceiling or counting invisible sheep."

Daniel coughed before regarding her doubtfully. "Really? Like what?" He looked over at the duffle bag on the chair and eyed it suspiciously. "You're…not going to club me over the head with a bat, are you?"

Betty let out a soft snort at the suggestion. "A bat? Daniel, why would you – " Suddenly, she paused and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hold on. You were watching one of those late-night horror movies again, weren't you?"

"What? No! I mean…why would you think that?"

"Because I see the signs, Daniel. You have that look in your eyes…just like the time you stayed up watching _Nightmare on Elm Street_. Do you remember how weird you acted when you saw Angela from Styles the next day?

"Look – I didn't mean to stare like that at her hands, but she had really long acrylic nails! I couldn't have been the only one weirded out by that," he retorted, raising his eyebrows. "And you saw them, too, right? Didn't her 'claws' creep you out…just a little?"

Instead of replying, Betty eyed him seriously as she crossed her arms more tightly across her chest.

"Okay, okay," Daniel confessed, as he lost his composure under her penetrating stare. "I'll admit – I turned on the TV at 2 a.m. and _Misery_ just happened to be on at that moment." He stopped to look again at his assistant, who was still staring disapprovingly in his direction. "Come on, Betty – could you stop looking at me like that? I know that you warned me last time, but I just couldn't sleep! I had to watch something."

"And that was supposed to help? You could've watched one of those boring infomercials instead."

"Um…that's true…but there weren't any on," he added quickly.

"Yeah, I bet." Turning away from Daniel, Betty rolled her eyes and looked at the thermometer that she was still holding. "Well, don't worry, Daniel. I have no intention of taking a bat or sledgehammer to your head." She paused and gave him a side-glance. "Not yet, at least."

The corners of Daniel's eyes and lips crinkled jovially at his assistant's dry remark. However, instead of responding in kind, he remained silent as Betty turned her complete attention towards the instrument in her hands. With a scrunched face, she closely inspected the mercury level of the thermometer from behind her red-rimmed glasses.

_Wait…is this right?_ Carefully, she studied the instrument once more.

Seeing the change in her expression, Daniel glanced back and forth between Betty's face and the thermometer. "What is it?"

As she placed the thermometer on the stand, Betty slowly stood up and turned to him. "Your temperature is 101.3."

"What?" His eyes widened in disbelief as he propped himself up on his right elbow. "But…that's impossible. It can't be that high." Sitting up, he looked away in confusion before glancing up at Betty. "I mean…I guess my head feels pretty warm, but for the most part, I actually feel – "

"Cold?"

"Yes…exactly!" he nodded at her. "That shouldn't be the case if I have a high fever, right?"

Once again, Betty placed one hand on Daniel's forehead while gently pressing the other over his arm. Instantly, Daniel sensed the unusual difference in body temperature: Betty's hand felt much cooler against his forehead than on his forearm. It really was a peculiar sensation – feeling both hot and cold at the same time. However, that sensation was nothing compared to the strange feeling Daniel was getting from Betty's hand resting against his arm. Immediately, he was reminded of the thoughts he had earlier, when she slid her hand gently across his forehead. His mind still couldn't register any coherent explanation for any of it, but somehow, her soft touch made him feel more peaceful and relaxed – and safe.

_It's almost like getting caught up in one of her hugs._ He continued to stare thoughtfully at his lap as Betty's hands moved separately across his forehead and arm. _Funny how I never noticed that before…_

Just as Daniel was getting comfortable with these sensations, Betty removed her hand from his forehead. "I can feel the goose bumps on your skin," she continued on, her other hand still resting on his forearm. "I think you might have a slight case of the chills, which really isn't unusual with a fever. So, that means the rest of your body might feel cold, but your head will be warmer than usual."

Her quick answer took him completely by surprise. _Unbelievable. She's a walking encyclopedia._ "And…how do you know all of this?"

Betty shrugged and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've learned a few things from taking care of my family over the years. And I remember having these same symptoms two years ago when I had a really bad case of the flu."

Daniel slowly nodded, feeling both impressed by his assistant's knowledge and slightly exasperated that she was confirming the worst. Letting out a sigh, he gradually leaned back against the headboard and looked up at her.

"So, I've officially gone from bad to worse. That's just great," he replied in mild frustration. "I can't believe this. I mean, it's been a long time since I've seriously…ohh…not…again…"

Sensing the worst, Betty quickly took her hand off of her boss' arm as he grabbed his tissue box and turned away from her.

"…Ahh…CHOOO!"

"Bless you!" She responded, wincing with sympathy. "Are you alright? That one was pretty strong."

"It's…fine. I'm…fine. Everything's…fine," Daniel answered, pausing every so often to rub his nose. _Stupid germs. Why the hell did they pick me?_ With a deep, exasperated moan, he closed his eyes and lay in a curled position, away from Betty's concerned gaze.

"Daniel, are you sure?" As she spoke, she leaned in slightly against the bed to get a better look at him over his shoulder. "You're sort of moaning like a zombie, and that's not a good thing…unless you're starring in one of those horror movies, I guess."

Daniel's body jerked slightly as he let out a weak laugh. It was an innocent remark on her part, but it still had a way of snapping him out of his misery. "No, I'm really okay, Betty," he replied as he opened his eyes. "I'm just tired of sneezing like crazy, that's all." In an attempt to collect himself, he took a deep breath and rubbed at his eyes with the back of his right hand. "So…what was I saying earlier? That damn sneeze made me lose my train of thought."

Betty straightened up and looked away thoughtfully. "Um…you were saying that it's been a long time since…something. And then you lost it – thanks to the germs."

"Oh yeah…" He paused to recollect his thoughts. "It's definitely been a while since I've been this sick. That's what I meant to say."

"Really? How long has it actually been?"

"It's probably been…" he furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to remember. "I don't know – a couple of years or so? I've suffered from a few allergies since then, but definitely not the flu."

"Wow, Daniel…you've been lucky to have a track record like that."

"Tell me about it." He turned slightly to look at Betty over his shoulder. "Do you know what's even funnier? When I went to my physical last week, I told my doctor that I felt as strong as a rock. I guess this is what I get for gloating," he chuckled bitterly. Pausing once again, Daniel rolled around underneath the blankets to face his assistant. "One thing's for sure – I'll be getting that flu shot next time."

Betty smiled in approval, as she sat next to him on the bed. "I'm glad to hear it – and you know I'm going to hold you to that," she added, pointing at him.

"Of course." Daniel nodded with a tired, lop-sided smile.

"You really shouldn't worry about getting it, you know?" Betty added reassuringly. "It's not like the nurses use huge needles, so you'll hardly feel anything at all."

Looking away momentarily, Daniel blushed slightly. "Hold on …who said I was afraid of nee – anything?" he asked defensively.

"Are you serious?" She faintly rolled her eyes and scoffed softly at him. "Daniel, when I visited the doctor for my flu shot, you asked me how it went, and the whole time that I was explaining the process, you couldn't stop chewing the inside of your lower lip – especially when the word 'needle' came up." She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "You really didn't need to _say_ anything. The fear was written all over your face."

Feeling small and embarrassed, he turned his eyes away from her. _I should've known. Nothing ever gets by her._

"Hey," Betty added, tapping his arm lightly. "Don't worry. Of course, I won't tell anyone."

As Daniel looked up, he saw the warm, earnest look in Betty's eyes, reassuring him that she meant every word. Her words were unnecessary, though. He already trusted her more than she realized. Daniel knew she would never expose any of his secrets to the public – including the little silly ones. Still, it bothered him that this childish fear of his was out in the open. The last thing he needed was to appear more vulnerable, especially to someone who was seemingly strong and fearless as Betty.

As if reading his thoughts, Betty pressed on gently. "Daniel, everyone has a fear of something. Trust me — your phobia of needles? That's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Yeah…I know. Thanks, Betty," replied Daniel somewhat sheepishly. "Still, I can't believe that you noticed. It's like you have eyes everywhere."

"Well, what kind of assistant would I be if I didn't pay close attention to everything you said and did?" she answered lightly.

Humored by her smart reply, Daniel simply nodded. "True enough." He paused and smiled inwardly at the smug look on Betty's face. "And thanks to your special attention, we've established that I'm officially a health risk to society. So…can I please take the medicine now?" he pleaded softly, as he gestured towards the bed stand with his head.

"Oh!" Betty's eyes widened as she remembered what she had brought in just minutes before. "Uh…not yet," she replied quickly, as she rose from the bed and knelt down.

"Not yet?" he asked incredulously. "Betty, please…my head's going to – "

"Just a few minutes more, Daniel. You need to eat something first."

Slowly, Daniel sat up and watched in awe as Betty positioned the food tray on top of his lap. He really couldn't believe what he was seeing. The spread that Betty prepared was quite simple, but it included a few of his favorites: Chicken noodle soup, a bowl of mixed fruit, and a slightly toasted onion bagel with light cream cheese. Although his illness had left him without much of an appetite over the past few days, he suddenly felt very hungry as he breathed in the wonderful smell of everything that was sitting on the tray. The anticipation in Daniel's face certainly didn't escape Betty's notice. She smiled happily at him as he stared gaping in wonderment.

"Wow…" He replied, with a wide-eyed, boyish expression on his face. "This is great! I can't believe you did this."

Betty shrugged shyly. "All I did was cut the fruit and toast the bagel. Unfortunately, I can't take credit for making the soup." Tapping Daniel's shoulder, she pulled and propped up his pillows from behind his back, causing him to lean forward slightly. "I picked that up during lunch. It's reheated."

As Betty finished arranging the pillows, Daniel took a closer look at the steaming large bowl sitting on the tray. "Wait… is this soup from_ Harriet's Kitchen_?"

"Yes, it is," she replied in an upbeat voice. "I remember when you mentioned how much you loved their chicken soup. So, I looked them up in the phone book and called just to make sure it was the right place."

Daniel leaned back against his pillows and watched his assistant curiously as she stood against the edge of the bed. "You remembered me saying that?"

"Of course! How could I forget?" A tiny smile played on Betty's lips as she rolled down the sleeves of her blouse. "We practically had a mini-argument just talking about it. Remember?"

"Oh…_that_ 'argument'." The corners of Daniel's mouth twitched as he nodded his head thoughtfully. "I remember. We were working late, getting ready for the Issey Miyake spread, right?"

"Yup," she nodded slowly, recalling the details. "Somehow, we got into a conversation about food, and you kept insisting that there was no other place in New York that made homemade chicken soup like _Harriet's Kitchen_."

"And for some reason, you refused to believe me…and you also gave me a look."

"What look?"

"This look." As Betty watched, Daniel perfectly mimicked her eye-rolling expression, right down to her usual head tilt. His dead-on impersonation of her facial expression was so hilarious that she couldn't help but giggle at how well it was pulled off. "Maybe you thought I wasn't looking, Betty, but I saw that."

"Okay – well, I couldn't help it!" She raised her hands with a shrug as Daniel grinned at her. "It was hard for me to believe that a restaurant in Manhattan could specialize in anything 'homemade'. Besides, I'm partial to my dad's chicken soup. I've rarely tasted chicken soup as good as his. You'll see – one of these days, I'll bring you some and you'll know exactly what I mean."

"Well, I'm looking forward to it then." Daniel smiled softly at the sound of pride in Betty's voice. It always warmed his heart whenever she talked about her family. In fact, he admired and respected her more because of her closeness to them. In the one day that he spent with the Suarez family, Daniel could tell that there was so much love and kindness in their household – and he was easily touched by it. He really couldn't help but feel happy and content when he was around them. Somehow, being with them was like basking in sunshine or sitting near a warm fireplace on a cold winter day. As unusual as that seemed, that was exactly the way it felt to Daniel…and there was no better way for him to explain it. Unfortunately, these recollections sometimes brought him sadness, especially when he compared Betty's family with his own.

Looking down at the tray, Daniel's mind wandered as he imagined his own father as a completely different person – more loving, humble, kind-hearted…almost like Mr. Suarez. However, as soon as these notions entered his thoughts, he willed them away. _Damn it – why am I doing this?_ _He'll never change. Some things aren't meant to change…_

Unaware of Daniel's silent reverie, Betty continued to speak eagerly. "Oh, I guarantee you'll love it. But…I have to admit that you were right. The soup at that place is very good. I guess in a way, it's almost as good as my dad's."

"Really?" Daniel asked, as he quickly pushed away all unhappy thoughts of his family.

"Yeah, it's great…maybe even a little better, in some ways." Betty paused before quickly adding, "But please don't ever let my dad know I said that!"

Chuckling, he shook his head at her panicked warning. "I won't."

"Seriously, I'm glad you told me about that place, Daniel. You really know what good chicken soup is like." As she fastened the buttons on her sleeve cuffs, Betty raised an eyebrow. "Not bad for someone who enjoys 'yummy' dishes like escargot and caviar, " she added teasingly.

"Hey, don't even start," he said with mock hurt as Betty stifled a giggle. "You know that I don't eat that way all the time. And just remember – who took you out for pizza a week ago?"

"I know…you did, of course. And I won't forget that, " Betty nodded gently. Inwardly, she smiled as she recalled their night out from over a week ago. It certainly was full of "firsts". It was the first time she tried snails, the first time Daniel ever sang karaoke, and it definitely was the first time she had ever crashed a wedding. Yet, more importantly, it was the first time she realized just how much of her working relationship with Daniel had transitioned into genuine friendship. It certainly was a strange setup for most people – having your boss as a good friend – but Betty wouldn't have it any other way. Somehow, knowing that they were friends made her feel less insecure and more comfortable about being at _Mode_. After their talk on the bridge, it comforted Betty even more to know that their friendship wasn't a "one-way street'. It was a reassuring thought knowing that they could count on each other…with practically everything.

"You know, it was so great to see you relax and let loose after everything that happened with Sofia," Betty added as she smiled at her friend. "And it really was fun going around town like that."

"Yeah, it was." Staring at his lap, Daniel smiled and gave a small nod before glancing up at Betty. "I needed that. And it didn't hurt for you to have some fun outside of the office either."

"That's true," she replied quietly, smiling to herself.

A moment of silence passed between them before Daniel finally spoke up.

"Hey," he interrupted gently, seeing the peaceful smile on Betty's face. "You're a little quiet. What are you thinking of?"

"Oh…I was just thinking back to that night…and the wedding…" Betty replied, seeing the questioning look in her friend's eyes. "And I know I said this before, but…oh my God, who knew crashing a wedding could be so much fun?" Betty exclaimed with a wide-eyed look that made Daniel smile. "I would've never tried that if it wasn't for you."

"Anything for free cake and champagne, right?" He replied, grinning at her. "But seriously, I'm just an amateur at that kind of thing, Betty. I think my friend Becks would've handled it better."

"Maybe…but I doubt that he could persuade the groom into believing that he's a second cousin like you did," she countered, shaking her head. "Really, Daniel – you should give yourself credit. You're totally smarter about these things than I'll ever be. And you even know where to get homemade chicken soup in this city! That counts for a lot more than you realize."

Clearing his throat, Daniel responded with a tiny shy smile. It wasn't often that people praised him for being knowledgeable about anything – even within his own family. For a moment, he felt unsure about how to respond to Betty's gracious remarks. It was beyond him how Betty could ever have so much faith in him, considering most people took him for a "screw-up". But as he took in the happy smile on Betty's face, all of his inner doubts melted away into confidence and pride. Somehow, knowing that she believed in him was an energy boost. Maybe Betty's opinion didn't matter much to most people at _Mode_, but for him, it was more than enough.

"Well…thanks, Betty. I'm glad that I could teach you something new," he replied after a momentary loss for words. "And it's great that you like this soup. I'll remember this the next time we have to order takeout."

"That sounds great!" Picking some lint off of her skirt, Betty looked up and smiled warmly at Daniel as their eyes locked in silence.

_Despite everything, at least he's looking more relaxed. That's a good sign. _

As Betty's eyes remained fixated on Daniel's, she noticed there was something in his expression that she couldn't quite put her finger on. His gaze seemed to convey a certain something that was, at the moment…indescribable. _What is it? Gratitude? Contentment, maybe?_ It remained unclear, but as she continued to look thoughtfully into Daniel's blue eyes, she started to feel a little self-conscious…and unusually nervous.

For a second, Betty averted her gaze, hoping to quell the growing knots in her stomach. As the feeling subsided, she looked up at him curiously.

"Daniel…is there – "

But before she could say more, Daniel held his chest and abruptly turned away from her to cough. Jolted from her thoughts, Betty quickly moved over to Daniel and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?"

Looking strained, he rubbed at his chest and slowly nodded at her as the cough subsided. "It's just another cough…but I'm fine, Betty." He gave her a tiny reassuring smile before closing his eyes and breathing deeply.

_Great, _she thought in exasperation as she brought her palm to her forehead. _He's supposed to be eating, and what am I doing? I'm talking him to death_. _Really good move._

"Uh…Daniel, I think you should start eating, and then you can take your medicine."

Slowly, he opened his eyes and nodded in agreement. Taking the spoon on the tray, he carefully took a sip from the soup bowl, while Betty watched him expectantly.

"Is it still warm? I set the microwave really high, but if it's already cold, then I can put it back in."

Daniel quickly waved his hand, dismissing the idea. "No, no – it's okay. It's still pretty hot. This is perfect, Betty. Thank you." he assured her.

"No problem." Betty grinned as she walked over to arrange the bags that she had placed on Daniel's chair.

As Daniel continued to sip his soup, he looked over the tray once more and noticed the vase holding the pink gerber daisy. "This is a nice touch, Betty."

Betty turned around as she folded her empty duffle bag. "That's a pink gerber daisy. It really is pretty, isn't it? It's my favorite flower. Actually, I was about to bring a few more, but then I realized you might have a sneezing fit."

"Good thinking," he nodded. Daniel's gaze shifted from the vase to the toasted bagel that was sitting right next to it. For a second, he shook his head and smiled as he looked at it. "Wow. You really don't miss a beat."

Betty looked up and grinned as she watched him bite into the bagel. As soon as she was done folding her duffle, she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed in front of Daniel. "Well, why break with habit, right? Just because you're not in the office, that doesn't mean you can't have your favorite bagel."

Daniel nodded in agreement. "Can't argue with that." Rubbing the crumbs from his hands, he looked at his assistant with some amusement. _Leave it to Betty to think of anything and everything. Man, the Girl Scouts have nothing on her._

Humored by that thought, Daniel picked up his spoon to take another helping of soup. However, he paused as he glanced again at his tiny assistant, who was now rubbing her eyes lightly from underneath her glasses. It dawned on him that she had been on her feet and taking care of him for the past hour and a half, and that was the first time she was really sitting down. The thought of that made Daniel suddenly feel very guilty. It was never his intention for Betty to overwork herself on his account, but somehow, that's exactly what she ended up doing.

Daniel let out a sigh and carefully set down his spoon as Betty watched him questioningly.

"Betty, why don't you have something to eat?" he asked with concern. "You can share this with me – but not the soup, though. I've already dipped into it, so it's officially breeding my germs now."

Betty shook her head and waved away the suggestion. "Oh no, Daniel, that's okay. That's all yours. Thanks for the offer, though."

He looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure? There's more than enough here for both of us."

Betty smiled gratefully at him. She pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and gave him a reassuring nod. "No, really – it's okay. I want you to have all of that so you can get your strength up."

"Well, okay," he replied, sounding doubtful. "But I'm leaving this plate right here, so feel free to help yourself." He positioned the fruit bowl on the outer most edge of the tray, so that it would be within Betty's reach. "I don't ever want to be accused that I starved my assistant," he added playfully before taking up his spoon again.

Betty let out a tiny laugh. "Actually…my dad might get annoyed with you if I come home too full, especially since we're having enchiladas tonight. He expects me to come home with plenty of room to spare down here." She patted her stomach and looked at Daniel knowingly.

"Oh, I see." Daniel raised his eyebrows at her and took another sip of his soup. As he did so, he picked up the fruit bowl and placed it on the side of the tray furthest away from Betty. "Well, in that case, you're not getting anything on this tray – not even this crumb," he added, pointing at a small bagel crumb on his tray.

"Yeah, that's funny," Betty scoffed, furrowing her eyebrows.

The slightly annoyed expression on Betty's face made Daniel smile to himself.

_I probably shouldn't continue…but this is too good to pass up._

After taking another small bite of the bagel and setting it down, he continued to talk in a level voice. "No, really Betty – this definitely is a load off of my shoulders. For once, I can let you starve and not feel bad about it. Actually, it's too bad your dad doesn't do this every day. Then you could work through the lunch hour, and that would save me a lot of time."

At that, Betty's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open. "Hey!" She frowned a little as Daniel smiled calmly at her and took a sip of water. "Well, thank you very much for that! It's nice to know that you feel that way. Maybe I'll just take this back then." Before Daniel could stop her, she reached over and took the bagel plate off his tray. "And my flower, too," she added, as she grabbed the glass vase.

Finally, the corners of Daniel's eyes wrinkled in amusement as he let out a soft laugh. "Betty, come on, I'm only teasing. Besides, didn't you just say a while ago that 'laughter is the best medicine'? I'm only trying to do what you told me to do."

Betty rolled her eyes skyward before looking back at Daniel, who was regarding her with a knowing look. "Yeah, yeah…I know. Touché," she mumbled, shaking her head lightly. As she replaced the vase on the tray, Betty laughed softly upon realizing how silly her reaction was. Seeing that she was no longer irritable, Daniel grinned and took back the plate that she was holding in her other hand.

However, after placing the bagel back on the tray, Daniel regarded her with concern once again. "Look, Betty…all jokes aside, I still think you should have something to eat." Once more, he picked up the fruit plate and placed it on the corner of the tray closest to his assistant. "At least have some of this fruit. I really doubt that eating a few slices will kill your appetite for dinner. And if I'm wrong, then you can tell your dad to blame me for stuffing you."

_It has been a couple of hours…and gosh, those apples look good._ Betty glanced over at the fruit bowl and bit down on her bottom lip. "Are you sure? I mean, that's really supposed to be – "

"Yes, I'm sure," he gently interjected, nodding slowly at her. "And you know you want some. I saw you stealing a few glances at these apple slices."

Betty's lips curved into an amused smile as Daniel eyed her suggestively while nudging the bowl closer to her side. "Okay – but only because you insist! And I wasn't eyeing anything. I was just…double-checking that the fruit was cut correctly."

"Uh-huh. If you say so," Daniel replied, raising his eyebrows incredulously.

With that, Betty smiled and popped an apple slice into her mouth, while Daniel went back to sipping his soup.

Suddenly, Betty let out a small gasp as she realized something that she had overlooked. "Oh! I almost forgot! I brought something else with me." With an apple slice stuck in her mouth, she walked over to her handbag and rummaged inside. "Let's see…" Her voice trailed as she dug her hands inside.

Daniel stopped midway from taking another sip of his soup. He looked back and forth from Betty to the bags sitting on the couch. "You know Betty, with everything that you managed to bring in those bags, you'd give Mary Poppins a run for her money."

"Mary Poppins?!"Betty let out a soft snort as she continued to chew on her apple slice. "Good one, Daniel. You're really on a roll now, aren't you?"

"Well, I learned from the best," replied Daniel with an innocent shrug. Without looking up at her, he smiled in self-satisfaction and continued to eat.

_And I created a monster. _Shaking her head slightly, Betty turned away from him with an amused smile. Focusing her concentration back to her handbag, she carefully pulled out a manila envelope, a bright orange folder, a pad of paper, and a pen from her bag. As she popped the leftover apple slice into her mouth, Betty carried the items in her left arm and seated herself once again on the edge of the bed.

"I decided to bring your mail and messages with me, and I also brought a few notes along with other things that we were supposed to discuss for the photoshoot this morning – just in case you wanted to look over them." Carefully, Betty set down the pile on the open space next to her on the bed, as she looked at Daniel. "But, you know – we really don't have to go through it right now if you're not up to it."

Biting into a pear slice, Daniel nodded thoughtfully as he glanced at the pile before him. "No, I'm fine, Betty. To tell you the truth, I'm glad that you brought all of this from the office. I think we should make up for today somehow." Pausing momentarily, he let out a sigh. As he did a mental rundown of the week's schedule, Daniel couldn't help but feel more apprehensive with every passing second.

Looking up, he met Betty's eyes as she watched him silently. "This flu couldn't have come at a better time, right?" Daniel asked, managing a weak smile. "I'm sure it doesn't reflect well on the magazine that the editor-in-chief is MIA before a major celebrity photo shoot."

Betty's heart filled with empathy as she took in her boss' worried countenance. She understood very well the struggles that Daniel was going through. He was trying very hard to prove himself at _Mode_ just as much as she was. However, being a Meade and a very public figure made this task much more difficult for him than for her. For the most part, the media continuously labeled him as a clueless playboy who was handed his job on a silver platter. And it most certainly didn't help that Daniel's father added his own dose of pressure. Despite his attempts to appear unaffected, Betty could easily tell that it pained Daniel to hear the constant criticism from everyone, especially when he let down his guard in private moments like this.

"Betty, I need to get well soon. If this shoot falls apart, it'll be my neck...again."

As she watched her friend, Betty saw that the look on his face was beginning to match the sound in his voice. Anxiety was etching deeper into his features, replacing the bright, playful twinkle in his eyes that was present just minutes earlier.

"Don't do this, Daniel. You shouldn't be hard on yourself." Betty replied, hoping to comfort and encourage him. "I mean, this could've happened to anyone. It's not like you asked to get sick. There are some things that you just can't control in life, and I think catching the flu certainly qualifies as one of them."

He looked anxiously at her as he fingered another apple slice. "Yeah…I know that, but try telling that to my father. It's not as easy to get him to understand." Distracted by his thoughts, he continued to finger the fruit in the bowl absentmindedly. After a few seconds of silent reverie, he looked up at Betty. "Speaking of my dad, what did he say when you called to cancel the meeting?"

Betty pushed her tongue against the inside of her cheek as she thought back to Bradford Meade's businesslike tone. _Oh God, what do I say?_ Her mind raced as she quickly considered her options. On the one hand, she didn't want to completely lie about her conversation with Mr. Meade. But then again, Betty knew that it wouldn't be comforting if Daniel knew that his father sounded less than sympathetic about his condition.

I guess I'll tell the truth…for the most part. 

"Well…" she started reluctantly, "he seemed disappointed to hear that you were sick."

Daniel cocked an eyebrow at her in disbelief. "Really? Disappointed?"

"Yeah…yes, definitely. He was really concerned. Most definitely." She tried to keep eye contact with Daniel as she spoke, but the intensity in his blue eyes made her jittery inside. No matter what, it never felt right spinning the truth to him – even with white lies. As calmly as possible, she looked down at the bedspread and picked at a piece of lint.

_Who am I kidding? He's right. I really suck at lying._

Daniel tilted his head and regarded her skeptically. "Betty, you could barely look at me when you said that. What did he really say?"

Taking a breath, she bit the inside of her cheek and pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. "He said that everything for the photo shoot must be finalized by Monday morning."

Looking down, Daniel nodded for her to continue. "Anything else?"

"Um…no, not really," Betty quietly replied. "But, as usual, it sounded like he was really busy at the moment. You know how it is – today being Monday, and everything," she quickly added, waving her hand casually.

Daniel looked up at her and gave her a tight smile. "You don't have to excuse my father's behavior, Betty. I already know what to expect with him. Being a concerned parent was never something he could do well – not even when I was a kid."

Betty couldn't help but feel heartbroken upon hearing his words. As Daniel turned his attention back to his food, she could tell that he was trying his best to appear indifferent, yet the disappointment that he was feeling reflected all over his face. All he needed was a simple "get well" message from his father, and that would've been enough for him. She was sure of it. But that would've been asking too much of Bradford Meade. Getting him to show any real emotion – even with his own child – was like pulling teeth, or so it seemed. For Betty, it was strange to see any parent behaving so formally with their child, especially since her parents had never been like that. At times like these, Betty realized how lucky she was to have such a loving, supportive father who wasn't afraid of showing emotion. More importantly, it was moments like this that made her realize how much her friend needed someone who cared.

As Daniel quietly turned his spoon in his bowl, Betty carefully considered the situation more thoughtfully. "Look, Daniel, despite the fact that he didn't say much, I'm sure your dad does care. Maybe he just doesn't know how to express it all the time."

"Betty, if my father has something to say, he'll let you know. He's never had a problem with that. Trust me…I should know," he replied, looking tiredly at her. "He never misses an opportunity to 'express' himself whenever I mess up…and he probably won't pass up the chance to 'express' himself again if I screw up this shoot."

Betty shook her head slowly. "No… maybe it's not what you – "

"You know, it looks like you brought a lot of stuff from the office." Daniel cleared his throat and turned his attention to the pile sitting on the bed next to his assistant. "And it seems like we have tons to get through before Monday. Maybe you can start reading to me my messages and mail while I finish this?"

"Oh…um, yeah. Sure," Betty replied quietly, taking the hint. As much as she wanted to continue comforting him, she understood that he was no longer willing to discuss the situation any further. For a few seconds, the petite brunette bit down on her lower lip as she watched her boss eat in silence. Finally, she glanced over at the pile sitting next to her on the bed. Taking a breath, she picked up the pile and placed it on her lap. "Just give me a minute…I'll sift through this and organize it a little."

"Okay," Daniel nodded pensively as he continued to look at his food. After a moment, however, he looked up at Betty and saw the somber look on her face as she sorted through the envelopes and papers. He hated that there was now this uncomfortable silence in the room – a completely different mood than the one they were in just minutes before. Hoping to change things around again, Daniel decided to turn the conversation in another direction. "So, how were things at the office? Did anything interesting happen?"

Betty looked up and adjusted her glasses. "Well, let's see…just before I left for lunch, Amanda accused me of pocketing her Toblerone…oh, and I heard Wilhelmina threatening to fire someone from advertising as I walked down the hall. So…I guess you could say it was a normal day," she replied with a small, dry laugh.

Daniel chuckled softly before looking curiously at her again. "Wait…didn't you say earlier that something else happened between you and Marc?"

"Oh, that was nothing. Have you ever been to Spain?" Betty stopped when she noticed the confused look on her friend's face. "Okay, never mind – don't answer that. You just had to be there, Daniel."

"Alright," he replied, shaking his head amusedly as picked up his water glass.

_At least he's calm again, _Betty mused, feeling relieved at seeing Daniel's lighthearted expression return.

_Now, if only I could say the same about myself… _

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you liked it! One more chapter to go! Comments are love, so if you have a chance, drop me a line and let me know what you think. :) 


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